Trump says he may 'annihilate' Iran without deal

US President Donald Trump told the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday that he was deciding whether to seek a deal with Iran or “annihilate” Iran if it failed to make a deal to end the Middle East war.

“Do I drive them into hell with no chance of survival and no hope of future greatness or generations?” Trump said. He added that he believed an agreement was possible after US midterm elections in November.

The remarks came as the US-Iran war continued. A Revolutionary Guards spokesman had said Tehran had toughened its conditions for ending the war after a US deal collapsed, and the Guards have warned Washington against further attacks.

On Monday, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps said it would strike new targets and use new weapons if the United States launched more attacks on Iran.

Fighting has eased in recent days after a flare-up late last month, but Tehran continues sporadic attacks on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Both sides are maintaining rival blockades in the waterway.