Donald Trump told the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday that he faces a "big decision" on whether to make a deal with Iran or "annihilate" the Islamic Republic. In the roughly 40-minute address he also said artificial intelligence would be renamed "super intelligence," and the Cuban delegation walked out during his remarks on the island. He made no mention of North Korea, though he has expressed an intention to meet Kim Jong-un later this year.
What did he say about Iran? He spent much of the speech justifying the war with Iran, which the BBC reported has spiked global oil prices and dragged down his approval ratings since the US and Israel launched it in February. "Will a deal be made with Iran that lets them rebuild and create a far greater country than it ever was before?" he said. "Or do I annihilate the Islamic Republic and do it quickly ... Do I drive them into hell?" He predicted a deal "right after the election" in November.
Did US and Iranian officials meet? Trump told reporters US officials held a "very productive" three-hour meeting with Iran's delegation on the sidelines. He said his envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met officials who were "not the highest level, but it's something," PBS NewsHour reported. Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei, in remarks the BBC reported, said the talks ran through a Qatari mediator who relayed Tehran's conditions, including an end to the war on all fronts.
What did he say about AI? All US documents "will be changed to use the much more accurate term super, as opposed to artificial," he said, because "the use of the word artificial makes it sound fake." He said the US "totally rejects any attempt to construct a globalist scheme to control" the technology and would "encourage it, not rein it in." Leaders of more than 20 mostly European countries had urged binding AI safety measures ahead of the week, an idea China and the United States did not endorse, the Korea Times reported.
What happened with Cuba? Trump called Cuba "an absolutely failed state" that "will fall," saying his administration was seeking "a fundamental change" there. The Cuban delegation walked out as he said "freedom will be coming to Cuba," The Hill reported. Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez, whose response the BBC reported, accused Trump of spreading "falsehoods," saying on X that Cuba "has the right to be a full sovereign and independent country."
Figures referenced: Donald Trump. — JudgeMarket.
