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Trump threatens to send Iran 'into hell' if war carries on

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Wilner, M. (2026, September 22). Trump threatens to send Iran 'into hell' if war carries on. Los Angeles Times. https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2026-09-22/trump-threatens-to-send-iran-into-hell-if-war-carries-on

Dated when The Aporia collected the article, usually within hours of publication. Check the original for its exact date and byline.

Los Angeles Times · collected 2026-09-22 · by Michael Wilner

Quick Summary

President Trump addressed the United Nations General Assembly in New York, threatening severe escalation against Iran if negotiations do not resolve its nuclear program issues. With less than a third of Americans approving of his handling of the ongoing war with Iran, Trump vowed to either negotiate a deal or “annihilate” Iran before the upcoming midterm elections. His speech also emphasized U.S. military readiness and denied claims that supplies were depleted despite continued conflict and missile attacks by Iran.
Written by AI on 2026-09-22, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

AI analysis

Story summary

As of September 2026, President Donald Trump told reporters that the U.S. is "hopefully toward the end" of its ongoing war with Iran, which began on February 28 and has lasted for seven months. Despite this hopeful statement, there are no clear timelines or significant de-escalation efforts in sight. The conflict continues to disrupt global oil supplies through the Strait of Hormuz, pushing up oil prices to over $108 per barrel. Additionally, Iran's foreign minister is under pressure from China and international concerns to reopen the strait and return to a previous interim peace deal with the U.S.

Meanwhile, tensions have escalated beyond Iran into Yemen, where Houthi rebels, aligned with Iran, pose significant threats near the Red Sea, complicating efforts at regional stability. The conflict has also drawn in other nations such as Saudi Arabia, which is offering extra crude oil through Oman to ease supply disruptions and stabilize oil prices.

At the United Nations General Assembly, Trump further alarmed global leaders by threatening to "annihilate" Iran if necessary, raising concerns about the potential for catastrophic outcomes involving nuclear weapons. This rhetoric contrasts sharply with past U.S. presidents who emphasized caution regarding such extreme measures. Despite these challenges, there is an urgent need for multilateral solutions and effective engagement through international bodies like the UN to address ongoing conflicts and crises around the world.

Written for “Trump's UN Speech Controversies” on 2026-11-03, grounded in this article and the 206 other(s) covering the same event.

Story

📰 Trump's UN Speech Controversies
Politics · 207 article(s) covering the same event. See how they differ ↓

Compared with similar articles

This article reads unscored and hedges 8% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.
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Hedges 1 of 2 claims Outlet record 66/100
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⚖️ Leans strongly left Hedges 0 of 26 claims Outlet record 66/100
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Outlet record 60/100
How this article was measured signals, leaning charts, publisher record, byline, topics and claims

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted
25
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
8%
2 of 25 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
withheld
no quote in the article backed the model's score
Publisher signals
95/100
Los Angeles Times's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
207
Politics
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
Analyzed 2026-09-22 · how these are computed

How this is being covered How these are calculated →

Article leaning vs. publisher reliability
Source leaning vs. consistency

Publisher

Los Angeles Times · 264 article(s) · 0 correction(s) detected
No corrections detected for this publisher. That may mean careful reporting, or simply that nothing has been checked.

Who wrote this

Michael Wilner
20 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction
🔮 - - Trump suggests he is expecting a wave, telling the New York Post he will ‘become Mr. Veto’ if Democrats sweep control. - Democratic congressional leaders may face internal party calls to pursue a third impeachment of the president.
2026-11-02 · mixed framing · Trump's aura of invincibility faces one more test
🔮 While a majority of Republicans still want to see the next leader of the party follow Trump on most issues, a third want to see the next GOP presidential nominee take a different approach, according to a New York Times/Siena poll in May.
2026-11-01 · assertive framing · A potential Democratic wave looms over Trump. Where does MAGA go after the midterms?
🔮 But the midterms will also serve as a reckoning for one of the least productive sessions of Congress in a century.
2026-10-31 · assertive framing · A historically paralyzed Congress faces its voters
🔮 Economists warn that Trump has overseen fiscal policy that would give the federal government fewer tools than it has had in the past to respond to a crisis.
2026-10-25 · mixed framing · As vote nears, Trump's AI gamble fuels economic uncertainty
🔮 Marco Rubio, the president’s secretary of state and national security advisor, has been silent on Trump’s decision to cut a deal with Moscow on diesel sales that could fuel Russia’s war against Ukraine.
2026-10-16 · mixed framing · Trump's team is in chaos as midterms enter final stretch
🔮 Lawmakers and AI industry leaders have also called for guardrails on the nascent technology, which experts warn could soon surpass human understanding.
2026-09-25 · assertive framing · A grand display for Xi reveals the limits of Trump's summitry
🔮 Xi Jinping’s remarks reflect growing concern within China over whether governments in Washington or Beijing will be able to contain a technology with potentially transformative capabilities, according to a U.S. official.
2026-09-24 · assertive framing · Xi, in lavish Trump summit, urges 'human control' over AI
🔮 “Will a deal be made with Iran that lets them rebuild and create a far greater country than it ever was before — maybe one of the greatest in the Middle East or even the world?
2026-09-22 · assertive framing · Trump threatens to send Iran 'into hell' if war carries on
🔮 Click here to listen to this article - - China’s spy chief warned that runaway AI capabilities could threaten Communist Party control. -
2026-09-17 · assertive framing · AI crisis heightens the stakes of Xi's visit to Washington
🔮 The president’s position has put him at odds with a growing chorus of industry leaders and bipartisan lawmakers warning that AI could soon advance beyond human control.
2026-09-14 · assertive framing · Democratic leaders panic and GOP divides as AI fears spread
Also by Michael Wilner
Trump's aura of invincibility faces one more test
2026-11-02 · Los Angeles Times
A potential Democratic wave looms over Trump. Where does MAGA go after the midterms?
2026-11-01 · Los Angeles Times
A historically paralyzed Congress faces its voters
2026-10-31 · Los Angeles Times
As vote nears, Trump's AI gamble fuels economic uncertainty
2026-10-25 · Los Angeles Times
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.
All 20 articles by Michael Wilner →

Topics

Iran NEW YORK Tehran U.S. the Islamic Republic

Subjects

Iran GPE · 10× Trump PERSON · 9× U.S. GPE · 5× the Islamic Republic GPE · 3× Iranian NORP · 2× NEW YORK GPE · 2× Tehran GPE · 2× Americans NORP · 1× the U.N. General Assembly ORG · 1× the United Nations ORG · 1×

Narrative

Iran’s ballistic missiles continue to test U.S. air defenses across the Middle East, shipping through the Strait of Hormuz remains depressed, and talks over the future of Iran’s nuclear program have collapsed. Explaining his decision to start the war, Trump said that he decided not to let the problem of Iran’s nuclear work “fester,” and warned that its ballistic missile program was being designed as a shield to protect its nuclear program from foreign attack.
framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-09-22
🔮 “Will a deal be made with Iran that lets them rebuild and create a far greater country than it ever was before — maybe one of the greatest in the Middle East or even the world?
2026-09-22 · Los Angeles Times
Trump threatens to send Iran 'into hell' if war carries on · assertive framing

Claims (25 extracted, 2 hedged)

Trump threatens to send Iran ‘into hell’ if war carries on - Click here to listen to this article - - Trump’s vow to ensure Tehran never acquires a nuclear weapon generated applause throughout the chamber. asserted
Tehran → threaten → chamber
The war has carried steep political costs for the president and his party ahead of the U.S. midterm elections. asserted
war → carry → elections
President Trump threatened to escalate the war with Iran by “annihilating” the Islamic Republic if it fails to negotiate a deal over its nuclear program, delivering a defensive speech justifying the mission at the United Nations on Tuesday. asserted
it → threaten → Tuesday
His remarks come more than six months into a war that has grown increasingly unpopular at home, with fewer than a third of Americans approving of the president’s handling of the conflict, according to recent polls. uncertain
third → come → polls
“I have a big decision to make,” he told world leaders gathered at the U.N. General Assembly in New York, with Iranian diplomats in attendance. asserted
he → have → attendance
“Will a deal be made with Iran that lets them rebuild and create a far greater country than it ever was before — maybe one of the greatest in the Middle East or even the world? asserted
it → make → East
Or do I annihilate the Islamic Republic, and do it quickly, never giving them a chance to kill and destroy again? asserted
I → annihilate → chance
“Do I drive them into hell,” he continued, “with no chance of survival and no hope of future greatness?” asserted
he → drive → greatness
The war has carried steep political costs for the president and his party ahead of the U.S. midterm elections in November, increasing inflation and energy prices due to disruptions in commercial shipping traffic through key waterways in the Middle East. asserted
war → carry → East
Defense officials say the conflict has also placed a huge burden on U.S. munitions stockpiles, as Iran continues firing ballistic missiles and drones at American assets and bases throughout the region. asserted
Iran → say → region
But Trump denied that the war has depleted U.S. stocks. asserted
war → deny → stocks
“That’s not true,” he said. asserted
he → ’ → ?
“I believe we’ll make a deal right after the election,” Trump said. asserted
Trump → believe → election
“We must be equally united in maintaining pressure.” asserted
We → unite → pressure
The rise in global gas prices has sparked protests around the world. asserted
rise → spark → world
But Trump’s vow to ensure Tehran never acquires a nuclear weapon — an issue that for decades united the international community — generated applause throughout the chamber. asserted
that → ensure → chamber
The president’s actions stand to color the backdrop of a week that will feature meetings with world leaders at the U.N. and a state visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping. asserted
that → stand → Jinping
Launching Operation Epic Fury in February, Trump projected the campaign would last roughly six weeks, with the stated objective of disabling Iran’s ballistic missile program, its navy and its nuclear infrastructure. asserted
campaign → launch → program
He also vowed a day would soon come when the Iranian people could rise up against their government and reclaim their country. uncertain
people → vow → country
More than six months later, the Islamic Republic stands. asserted
Republic → stand → ?
Iran’s ballistic missiles continue to test U.S. air defenses across the Middle East, shipping through the Strait of Hormuz remains depressed, and talks over the future of Iran’s nuclear program have collapsed. Explaining his decision to start the war, Trump said that he decided not to let the problem of Iran’s nuclear work “fester,” and warned that its ballistic missile program was being designed as a shield to protect its nuclear program from foreign attack. asserted
program → continue → attack
“Iran’s goal was to complete their mad dash to a nuclear bomb from behind this conventional nuclear shield,” Trump said. asserted
Trump → complete → shield
“They were the bully of the Middle East, but they’re the bully no more.” asserted
they → ’re → East
The United States has repeatedly offered a deal with Iran that would open up economic cooperation between the two nations in exchange for an end to their nuclear work, he said. asserted
he → offer → work
“They absolutely refused,” he added. asserted
he → refuse → ?
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