U.S. President Donald Trump alleged a meeting with Iran after threatening to “annihilate” the country at the UN, while Iranian officials denied the talks and warned of retaliation, as global leaders grappled with escalating tensions over the Middle East and Ukraine.
U.S. President Donald Trump claimed to have held a meeting with Iranian officials shortly after delivering a combative speech at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on September 22, 2026, where he warned of “annihilating” Iran if a deal to end the nearly seven-month war was not reached. The assertion came as Iranian military authorities denied the talks and accused the U.S. of repeating threats without action, while global leaders addressed the Israel-Palestinian conflict and Ukraine’s war with Russia.
Trump’s UN Speech and Alleged Iran Meeting
Trump’s address to the UNGA included sharp criticism of Iran, accusing the Islamic Republic of stalling on reopening the Strait of Hormuz and negotiating an end to the war. He later told reporters about the alleged meeting with Iranian officials but provided few details, according to Timesunion. The meeting, if true, would mark a rare direct dialogue between U.S. and Iranian officials amid heightened regional tensions.
The president also met with British Prime Minister Andy Burnham and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi during the UNGA, while hosting Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Washington to address economic and tech competition.
Iran’s Response to U.S. Threats
Iranian military officials dismissed Trump’s claims of a meeting, with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ spokesman, Hussein Mobini, stating that Trump’s past threats had not been fulfilled and that the U.S. was now returning to launch new ones, Sky News Arabia reported. The Iranian Armed Forces General Staff stated that U.S. threats are not a guide to strength and warned of a response to any new military round.
The Iranian parliament’s speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, reiterated that Iran would not surrender to pressure and would not accept what he described as attempts to subjugate it, Sky News Arabia reported.
Burnham’s Call for a Two-State Solution
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham urged global leaders to prioritize the two-state solution for the Israel-Palestinian conflict, warning that failure to act will corrode trust in political processes. Speaking at a UNGA meeting, Burnham stated that we all live in an era of low trust in politics. Many people in this room, many politicians around the world, have spoken for decades about a two-state solution. But if we fail to back those words with deeds, we will further corrode trust in the political, diplomatic and international process, Timesunion reported.
Burnham also announced that the UK has banned trade with Israeli settlements in the West Bank, citing the “E1” expansion plan as a deliberate attempt to block a two-state solution. The move aligns with similar actions by the EU and other Western allies, Timesunion noted.
Zelenskyy’s Plea for Pressure on Russia
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told The Wall Street Journal that the war with Russia would end if countries stopped buying Russian oil, adding that it’s enough to stop them — they will not have enough money. Timesunion reported. He acknowledged that Trump on Tuesday did not ask him to stop bombing Russian oil refineries but noted that the issue had been raised before by American partners over concerns of rising energy prices.
Zelenskyy’s comments reflect ongoing efforts to isolate Russia economically, with Ukraine relying on Western support to sustain its military operations. The U.S. and its allies have imposed sanctions on Russian energy exports, but major buyers like China, India and Turkey continue to purchase Russian oil, Timesunion reported.
The developments underscore a complex web of global diplomacy, with U.S.-Iran tensions, the Israel-Palestinian conflict, and the Ukraine war intersecting at the UNGA. While Trump’s alleged meeting with Iran remains unverified, Iranian officials have signaled readiness to respond to any further escalations, Sky News Arabia reported.