# ‘Annihilate’ vs ‘crushing’ attacks: Why Iran, US up rhetoric amid talks

https://mins.news/en/item/70364

- Al Jazeera, 2026-09-23 09:40 UTC
- World
- Original: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/9/23/annihilate-vs-crushing-attacks-why-iran-us-up-rhetoric-amid-talks?traffic_source=rss

> US President Donald Trump threatened to “annihilate” Iran at the UN General Assembly, then described a meeting between US and Iranian officials as “very good”. Iran’s Armed Forces General Staff warned it was ready to launch attacks that would be “more crushing and less predictable”. The first in-person talks between the two sides in months revived diplomacy, amid disputes over sanctions, Strait of Hormuz navigation and Iran’s nuclear programme.

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