US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he was facing a choice between reaching a deal with Iran and driving it "into hell", as he threatened further military action while leaving the door open to negotiations.
"Do I annihilate the Islamic Republic and do it quickly, never giving them a chance to kill and destroy people and countries again? Do I drive them into hell with no chance of survival?" Mr Trump said in a speech at the UN General Assembly.
But he said he believed an agreement remained possible, suggesting Tehran was waiting for the outcome of November's US midterm elections before returning to negotiations. "I believe we'll make a deal right after the election because it doesn't make sense for them not to," he said.
He reiterated that he would not allow Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon and said Tehran had rejected previous US offers of economic co-operation in exchange for ending its nuclear programme and support for militant groups.
Mr Trump defended US military operations against Iran, saying Operation Midnight Hammer had "obliterated" its nuclear programme and claiming a subsequent campaign, Operation Epic Fury, had destroyed much of Iran's navy, air force, air defences, and missile and drone production capacity.
The President also accused Iran of violating a ceasefire with attacks on commercial shipping and thanked the UN Security Council for adopting a resolution condemning attacks on civilian vessels.
"I have a big decision to make," Mr Trump told member states, asking whether Iran would instead agree to a deal that could allow it to rebuild and become "one of the greatest" countries in the Middle East.
The conflict has become something of an albatross for Mr Trump ahead of the crucial midterm elections, with his approval rating sagging to new lows as Americans pay more for fuel and groceries because of the war.
A potential new front is opening up in the conflict, following rapid gains by the Houthis in Yemen that could threaten shipping through the Bab Al Mandeb strait.
Mr Trump's return to New York for UNGA comes as the UN faces sprawling challenges, including budget shortfalls from unpaid member fees, as well as attacks by his administration on various agencies, including UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees.
The President also condemned the International Criminal Court and said Washington “will never allow US service members or anyone else to be investigated or given show trials by an anti-American tribunal with no jurisdiction over us. We're an evil group of people".
He called on all nations that are members of the ICC to officially pull out of “this rogue institution immediately”.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has previously vowed to demolish the ICC "brick by brick".
Much of the rest of Mr Trump’s speech focused on what he described as his administration’s successes and the strength of the US, which he called the “most powerful country in the world
He warned that Washington was prepared to use its military power to defend US interests in Latin America and predicted that Cuba’s communist government would soon collapse.
Mr Trump also celebrated an agreement with Greenland that he said would allow the US to build two military bases in the Arctic territory. He signed the deal with the leaders of Denmark and Greenland on the sidelines of the UN gathering.
