Iranian officials walked out of the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday after United States President Donald Trump threatened to “annihilate” the Islamic Republic if Tehran failed to reach a deal with Washington.
The walkout occurred during Trump’s address to the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York, where the US president devoted a significant portion of his speech to defending his administration’s military campaign against Iran.
Trump told world leaders that he faced a choice between reaching a deal that would allow Iran to rebuild and destroying the Islamic Republic.
“I have a big decision to make,” Trump said while addressing the assembly.
He questioned whether Washington should reach an agreement with Tehran or “annihilate the Islamic Republic” and prevent it from rebuilding.
Trump, however, said he believed a deal with Iran could eventually be reached, suggesting that negotiations could resume after the US midterm elections.
The remarks prompted most members of the Iranian delegation to leave the General Assembly Hall about 10 minutes into the speech.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi were in New York for the UN gathering but were not present in the hall when Trump delivered his remarks.
Trump defended the US military action against Iran, arguing that it was necessary to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons. He also claimed that American military power had changed the balance of power in the region.
The US president also used his address to criticise Cuba, declaring that the country’s government was failing and “will fall.”
The Cuban delegation subsequently walked out of the chamber.
Trump’s combative address contrasted with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s earlier call for diplomacy in addressing global conflicts.
Lula argued that wars and rising international tensions could not be resolved through military force alone.
The confrontation at the UN comes amid continuing tensions between Washington and Tehran and renewed international concerns over the prospects for diplomacy and the wider consequences of the conflict.
The Iranian walkout further underscored the deep divisions between the two countries as world leaders gathered for the annual UN General Assembly.
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