Trump Threatens Iran's 'Annihilation' at UN as Critic Calls Speech Dangerous and Delusional
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Sep 23
Trump Threatens Iran's 'Annihilation' at UN as Critic Calls Speech Dangerous and Delusional
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Sep 23
Summary
Trump's UN address drew fresh condemnation after he mused about “annihilating” Iran and floated attacks that critics said could amount to war crimes if aimed at civilians or vital infrastructure.
Kenneth Roth argued the threat exposed a lawless, unilateral approach, saying Trump abandoned diplomacy after scrapping Barack Obama's nuclear deal and has left Iran closer to a weapon than before.
The speech also celebrated hard-line moves on Venezuela, Greenland and maritime killings of suspected drug traffickers, while Roth warned reported plans to widen sanctions on the ICC could obstruct justice.
Trump cast himself as a peacemaker who had settled 8 wars, but Roth said Gaza violence continues, Rwanda-backed M23 still holds eastern Congo, and Trump's Ukraine ideas would reward Russian aggression.
At the broadest level, Roth said Trump used the UN stage to dismiss climate change as a hoax, mock AI regulation and elevate self-promotion over the multilateral problem-solving the body was built for.