From Mother Jones · Alex Nguyen · · 1m 10s
Trump threatens to annihilate Iran at UN
The president considers completely destroying Iran to end the war he started with Israel in February.
In brief
The president considers completely destroying Iran to end the war he started with Israel in February. Trump is openly weighing total destruction of Iran as a conflict resolution strategy, dismissing diplomatic alternatives. Originally reported by Mother Jones.
Trump considers annihilating Iran
At the UN General Assembly on September 22, Trump asked aloud whether he should completely destroy Iran to end the war he launched with Israel in February.
“Do I annihilate the Islamic Republic and do it quickly, never giving them a chance to kill and destroy people and countries again?”
Trump claims Iran rejected peace deals
Trump said Iran's leadership rejected multiple peace offers from the US, but provided few details about what those terms actually were.
Critics call rhetoric genocidal
Matt Duss from the Center for International Policy called Trump's threats dangerously unhinged and a criminal threat of genocide against an entire nation.
“Such rhetoric is not merely reckless, it is a criminal threat of genocide against an entire nation.”
US operations made deals impossible
American strikes in Iran have empowered hardliners, weakened the Iranian president's negotiating power, and made nuclear agreements like the Obama-era JCPOA virtually impossible.
Tens of thousands killed since February
Since the first US-Israeli strikes in February, tens of thousands have been killed and communities have lost access to food, water, and energy. Trump's speech made no mention of these casualties.
The one thing
Trump is openly weighing total destruction of Iran as a conflict resolution strategy, dismissing diplomatic alternatives.
