'I'll be here for 2.5 years': Trump warns Iran against waiting for midterms for a deal

US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that Iran may be waiting to see how he performs in the US midterm elections before agreeing to a deal, but said the elections would have no bearing on his decisions toward Tehran.

Speaking at the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, Trump said he expected a deal with Iran after the midterms. He also warned that he faced a choice between reaching an agreement and taking much stronger military action against the Islamic Republic.

"They're waiting to see how I do in the midterm election," Trump said. "What they don't realise is that I'm not running. I did that already, won a giant landslide. I'll be here 2.5 years."

Trump said he would not take the election into account when deciding how to deal with Iran. "I gave absolutely no credence and will not give credence to the election when it comes to Iran," he said. "It doesn't even enter my mind. The only thing that does is that Iran will never have a nuclear weapon."

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Trump's 'Big Decision'

The US President said he believed a deal could be reached soon after the election. "But I believe we'll make a deal right after the election, because it doesn't make sense for them not to," he said.

He said the deal could allow Iran to rebuild and become "one of the greatest in the Middle East or even the world."

But Trump also laid out a stark alternative. "Or do I annihilate the Islamic Republic, and do it quickly, never giving them a chance to kill and destroy people and countries again?" he said.

Strait Of Hormuz

Trump also pointed to US naval operations in the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global oil shipments.

He said the US Navy had recently escorted more than 1 billion barrels of oil out of the strait and that more oil was flowing than at any point since the start of the war.

"We're taking 22, 25, 30, 32, and 37 ships out, respectively, every single day, every single night," Trump said.

He also thanked the UN Security Council for what he described as an overwhelming vote on a resolution condemning Iran's “despicable terrorist attacks on commercial shipping.”