Annihilate Iran, super intelligence, Greenland, 8 wars: What Trump said in UN speech

Trump opened his address by portraying the United States as stronger and more powerful under his leadership. He highlighted increased military spending and what he described as a broader revival in America’s economic and strategic strength.

“America is back, and our country is stronger today than ever before,” Trump said. He also claimed that US military spending had reached unprecedented levels, with his administration set to spend $1.5 trillion during his current term.

“The entire world is being lifted by the wealth, strength, spirit and momentum of a newly energised and very powerful United States of America,” he said. Trump also stressed his preference for confronting threats rather than allowing them to grow. “While others have talked, I have acted. While others have spoken of peace, I have made peace,” he said, presenting his administration as one willing to use American power to tackle long-running global challenges.

Iran was a major focus of Trump’s address. He said Tehran had been allowed to gather strength “at the world’s peril” but claimed Washington had acted to stop Iran from spreading terror. Trump said the US had halted Iran’s “mad dash to a nuclear bomb from behind this ballistic missile shield”.

“If they had succeeded, that wicked regime would have been free to spread terror and death forever,” he added. Trump also repeated his warning that Iran would not be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon. He said that after returning to office, he had offered Tehran full economic cooperation in exchange for ending its nuclear programme and support for terrorism.

“Upon taking office last year, I immediately opened negotiations with Iran and offered them full economic cooperation in exchange for ending their nuclear program and support for terror, but they refused. They absolutely refused. That was a big mistake.”

Trump called on countries to join the United States in imposing “complete economic isolation” on Iran. He said Tehran should remain isolated until it stops attacks on commercial shipping, gives up its nuclear ambitions and ends its support for terrorism.

“The terrorist regime is behaving badly, not because they are strong and confident but because they are weak and desperate. If we stand united, we will soon see a world free of the last 51-year menace of Iranian terror”, Trump said. He also raised the possibility of further military action against Iran, asking whether Washington should reach a deal or destroy the Islamic Republic.

“Will a deal be made with Iran that lets them rebuild and create a far better country than it was before, or do I annihilate the Islamic Republic?” Trump told the UNGA.

“Do I drive them into hell with no chances of survival?” he continued, rhetorically. Trump nevertheless said he believed a deal could be reached after the US midterm elections in November.

Trump also devoted a major part of his address to Gaza, recalling the situation when he last spoke at the UN. He said the war was then still raging, hostages remained inside Hamas tunnels and there appeared to be no end to the conflict.

He said developments on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly had helped change the situation. The US President added that “a few weeks later, we ended the war in Gaza, saving untold thousands of lives”. He also said all remaining hostages had been brought home.

Addressing the war in Ukraine, Trump said he believed the conflict could be brought to an end sooner than many expected. He said his administration was working closely with both Russian and Ukrainian leaders and was focused on finding a way to resolve the fighting. Trump did not provide a specific timeline or details of any new proposal, but expressed confidence that the war could be settled more quickly than people understood. Earlier, as he arrived at the UN headquarters, Trump had called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to settle the conflict.

Highlighting the US-Venezuela oil partnership, Trump said the two countries had signed what he described as the largest oil deal in history, covering 65 billion barrels of oil. He said the agreement would benefit both countries and help lower energy costs around the world.

“The biggest oil companies in the world are going in (to Venezuela), and the numbers are absolutely incredible,” Trump said. He also claimed that the United States and Venezuela together account for more than 60 per cent of the world’s oil.

Turning to Cuba, Trump said Washington was seeking a “fundamental change” in the communist-ruled country.

“It’s an absolutely failed state. It’s failing like never before, and it will fall. Communism will never be coming to America, but freedom will be coming to Cuba,” he added. The Cuban delegation walked out of the UN chamber as Trump made the remarks.

Trump also turned his attention to the United Nations, claiming that Washington had worked with other countries to introduce what he called the most sweeping UN reforms in history. He said the US had cut the UN budget by 15 per cent in 2026, eliminating more than 4,000 positions.

Trump also criticised what he described as a “far-left agenda of globalist bureaucrats” and rejected the idea of global taxation. He said the US had stopped the International Maritime Organization from establishing what he described as a global carbon tax that could raise international shipping costs.

“There is no global government, and while I’m president, there will be no global taxes,” he added.

Reiterating his claim that he helped prevent a full-scale war between India and Pakistan in May 2025, Trump said Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had credited him with saving millions of lives.

Calling Sharif a “terrific man”, Trump said the Pakistani prime minister had thanked him for helping stop the conflict and “saving 30 million lives”. Trump also claimed that leaders of countries where he had intervened to end conflicts had written to him expressing their gratitude.

“The Prime Minister of Pakistan, a terrific man, said that Donald Trump was responsible for saving 30 million lives, and probably many more than that,” Trump said at the UNGA.

Greenland was another major issue in Trump’s speech, with the US, Denmark and Greenland later signing an agreement allowing a larger US military presence on the strategically located island. Trump described it as an “unprecedented agreement regarding the northern frontier of North America”.

The deal stops short of his earlier demand for the US to take control of Greenland, but allows Washington to expand its military presence there. Trump said the agreement would give the US the ability to develop a large military presence, including two major military bases. In his UN speech, Trump said the agreement would give the US “permanent control over security and all other needs on that territory”.

“No US adversary will ever be permitted to establish a military presence in Greenland any more, or make sensitive investments there without our express written approval,” Trump said.

Artificial intelligence was another major topic, although Trump used a different term for the technology. Calling it “super intelligence”, or SI, Trump said the United States rejected what he described as a “globalist scheme” to control AI.

“The use of the word artificial makes intelligence sound fake, and it is not fake,” Trump explained. “It’s actually amazing.”

“All of US documents will be changed to use the much more accurate term ‘super’, instead of ‘artificial’,” he said. “Welcome to the new world of super intelligence slash SI.”

Trump said the US would encourage the development of the technology rather than restrict it.

“The United States leads the world in super intelligence, and we’ll continue to do so safely and responsibly. Americans have never been a nation that retreats from a frontier or shrinks from a challenge, no matter how great or how daunting that challenge may be,” he added.