Donald Trump at UN asks whether to "drive them into hell" as he weighs military attack on Iran

At the UN General Assembly in September, President Donald Trump publicly weighed a negotiated settlement with Iran against a major military attack. The remarks came as officials reportedly leaked plans for fresh US-Israeli strikes after the Nov. 3 midterms on Iranian nuclear sites, missile stockpiles and civilian infrastructure. The context includes an eight-month war that began Feb. 28, when US-Israeli attacks killed senior Iranian leaders, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iran retaliated against US bases and Gulf energy facilities and largely closed the Strait of Hormuz. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly urged Trump in a Saturday call to resume bombing after the elections. Qatari-brokered talks reportedly advanced toward an interim arrangement over Hormuz and frozen Iranian assets, though earlier negotiations failed.