US President Donald Trump first threatened to "annihilate" Iran in an address to the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, but then said US and Iranian officials had met on the sidelines hours later, in what is the first confirmed direct contact between the two sides since the war began in February.
At a tumultuous moment for the world — and for his presidency — Trump lauded his own fortitude compared to other leaders as he defended his decision to start a war with Iran in his speech at the UN headquarters in New York.
