By Samuel Akpan
US President Donald Trump told the United Nations on Tuesday he faces a stark choice – strike a deal that rebuilds Iran or wipe out the Islamic Republic to end the Middle East war.
Addressing the General Assembly, the president said the offer could restore Tehran or end it.
“I have a big decision to make — will a deal be made with Iran that lets them rebuild and create a far greater country than it ever was before, maybe one of the greatest in the Middle East or even the world?”
“Or do I annihilate the Islamic Republic and do it quickly, never giving them a chance to kill and destroy people and countries again? Do I drive them into hell with no chance of survival and no hope of future greatness or generations?”
He said an agreement could still come before November’s US midterm elections, when Republicans risk losing Congress, partly because the war has driven fuel prices higher.
“I believe we’ll make a deal right after the election because it doesn’t make sense for them not to,” Trump said.
“They’re waiting to see how I do in the midterm election. What they don’t realize is that I’m not running. I did that already, and won in a landslide.”