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Trump defends US interventions abroad ahead of 'big decision' on Iran: 'Settling years of unfinished business'
By Eric Mack
Published September 22, 2026
President Donald Trump issued a stern warning Tuesday for Iran to make a deal soon or face severe consequences for its pursuit of a nuclear weapon.
"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?" Trump told the United Nations General Assembly in his morning address.
"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?"
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Trump expressed hope that a deal with the "cowards and traitors" of Iran will come "right after the election, because it doesn't make sense for them not to."
"They're waiting to see how I do in the midterm election," he continued. "What they don't realize is that I'm not running."
The midterm election result "doesn't even enter my mind," Trump stressed, adding "the only thing that does is that Iran will never have a nuclear weapon."
Not acting now against the threat of a nuclear Iran would ultimately leave "unfinished business" and "intractable challenges" for the future.
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"As president of the most extraordinary nation in history, I have no interest in leaving dangers to grow for another day," he said. "I do not believe in letting problems fester. They only become harder to solve."
"Ignored threats, I have confronted them. While others have talked of courage, America has shown it," Trump continued. "While others have promised strength, I have used it to make America the most powerful country in the world. Working with many nations in this room, we are solving decades of intractable challenges, and we are settling years of unfinished business. And we're doing it well."
Trump opened with a repeat of his policy of American leadership on the global stage.
"I can report to you with pride that America is back, and our country is stronger today than ever before," Trump said at the start of his remarks. "Our economy is the envy of the world. Our military is the most powerful on earth. Our technology is second to none, and we are leading in virtually everything.
"Our energy is fueling the planet. America is rising. Our nation is growing. Our power is expanding. Our country is doing better than ever before, and our future is very, very bright."
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Trump said a rising America lifts all boats around the world.
"The entire world is being lifted by the wealth, strength, spirit and momentum of a newly energized and a very powerful United States of America," he added. "And just as we moved quickly to address problems we inherited at home, we have acted with decisiveness and speed to reshape the world stage and solve problems that have plagued us for far too long."
Trump took pointed aim at Iran amid the conflict that has roiled the Strait of Hormuz and global oil supply lines, denouncing "brazen acts of terrorism against civilian ships."
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"I hope the Europeans realize that Iran's goal was to complete their mad dash to a nuclear bomb from behind this conventional ballistic missile shield," he said. "If they had succeeded, that wicked regime would have been free to spread terror and death forever, knowing that any attempt to stop them would face an arsenal of nuclear annihilation."
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-defends-us-interventions-abroad-ahead-big-decision-iran-settling-years-unfinished-business