Trump Threatens to 'Annihilate' Iran in UN Speech as Officials From Both Countries Meet on Sidelines

US President Donald Trump threatened to "annihilate" Iran during an address to the United Nations General Assembly, even as officials from both countries were reported to be meeting separately on the sidelines of the same gathering, according to the BBC.

In his speech, Trump weighed the prospect of reaching a peace deal with Iran against the possibility that he might have to take extreme action against the country, framing the choice in stark terms before the assembled delegates.

The remarks came during the same period in which US and Iranian officials, working through mediators, were reported to be holding talks on the sidelines of the General Assembly, illustrating the parallel tracks of confrontation and diplomacy that have characterized the US-Iran relationship this week in New York.

Trump's rhetoric toward Iran has fluctuated between threats and openings for negotiation, a pattern reflected in this latest speech. Iranian officials have not been reported to have issued a direct public response to the specific language used by Trump in his address.

It remains unclear whether the sideline contacts between US and Iranian representatives will lead to any formal agreement, even as the rhetorical temperature between the two governments remains high.