The Iranian delegation stood up and left the room. This happened while President Donald Trump was speaking at the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Tuesday. He had just asked the world leaders gathered there whether he should make a deal with Iran or annihilate the Islamic Republic. Then he added words that made the air feel different. He asked if he should drive them into hell with no chance of survival.

Ten minutes into the speech, most of the Iranian delegates got up from their seats. Only one person stayed behind. That person sat there stone-faced while Trump kept talking about military strikes that have gone on for six months. The cameras found that lone delegate. The glare was clear.

Trump had snapped at CNN’s Kaitlan Collins earlier that morning. She asked him about the war with Iran and when it would end. Trump told her it was an honor to be at the United Nations. Then he turned on her. He said he was surprised CNN was there covering him. He told her she should not be there. Collins answered that the United Nations allowed them in, not the White House. Trump has banned CNN from the White House along with MSNOW and Politico. He said they gave unflattering coverage of his presidency. Collins has been a repeated target for not smiling, in Trump’s view.

The exchange set a tone that carried into the General Assembly hall. Trump took the podium in front of a standing-room-only crowd. He laid out a choice for Iran in plain terms. He said he had a big decision to make. Would a deal be made that lets Iran rebuild and create a far greater country than it ever was before. Or would he annihilate the Islamic Republic quickly and never give them a chance to kill and destroy people and countries again. Then came the line about hell. He asked if he should drive them into hell with no hope of future greatness for generations. After that he said he believed a deal would be made right after the election. He said it did not make sense for Iran not to deal. He said they were waiting to see how he performed in the midterms.

The Iranian president and foreign minister were in New York for the annual meeting. They did not come to the hall for Trump’s speech. Lower level staff and delegates were seated when Trump began. They listened for about ten minutes. Then they left. The timing matched the moment Trump turned to the last six months of on-and-off military strikes against Iran. Reports from the floor said the delegation walked out upon hearing the threats. The Independent’s White House correspondent Andrew Feinberg reported the walkout as it happened.

Cuba’s delegation walked out later in the same speech. Trump called Cuba an absolutely failed state. He said its communist regime would collapse. He also said let’s see what unfolds in discussions with the United States. That did not sit well with the Cuban diplomats in the room. They stood and exited too. Two countries. Two walkouts. One speech.

Trump framed American power as the solution to global issues. He defended the ongoing conflict with Iran. He said the United States was doing really well. He said progress was being made. He also mentioned a meeting with Iranian officials at the United Nations. He called it very good. That came after months of stalled talks. The meeting marked a diplomatic opening even as the rhetoric hardened.

The phrase about driving a nation into hell is not small. It is the kind of language that can escalate a situation fast. Diplomats watch every word at the United Nations. They weigh intent and effect. They think about what a leader might do next. When a president speaks about annihilation and hell in the same breath, people notice. They also remember. The Iranian delegate who stayed in the room did not look away.

Trump has used this speech to present his version of reality. He sees American dominance over the Western hemisphere as a given. He sees deals as possible after elections. He sees pressure as a tool that works. He also sees CNN as a problem. He told Collins she should not be covering him. She pointed out that the United Nations provided the credentials. The ban from the White House does not apply at the General Assembly. That detail matters. It shows the limits of what a president can control in a global forum.

The war with Iran has gone on for eight months with no resolution. Trump said he must choose between a deal that allows Iran to recuperate or swift annihilation of the Islamic Republic. He posed it as a question to the audience. Should he push them into despair with no chance of survival. Should he remove hope for future generations. Then he answered his own question. He said a deal would come after the midterms. He said the elections were on November 3.

The room stayed quiet through much of this. Silence can mean many things at the United Nations. It can mean respect. It can mean shock. It can mean calculation. When the Iranian delegation walked out, the silence shifted. People looked at each other. Some looked at the cameras. Some looked at their notes. The moment passed. The speech went on.

Trump left the podium after laying out his threats and his hopes. He said the country was doing well. He said progress was real. He said a deal was likely. The Iranian delegation had already left. The Cuban delegation followed. The lone Iranian delegate stayed until the end. That person did not smile.

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