Via Dropsite News: During his speech before the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, President Donald Trump threatened to "annihilate the Islamic republic" of Iran if the two countries fail to reach a deal. Responding in a statement carried by Mehr, Iran's General Staff of the Armed Forces and the Khatam Al-Anbiya Central Command accused Trump of using the UN podium to justify U.S. "aggression" and described his threats as evidence of Washington's "strategic desperation," warning that Iranian forces were prepared to strike the U.S. and Israel with attacks more severe than those carried out earlier in the war.

Via Zeteo: In Iran, the Revolutionary Guard said it had information that a new attack was coming, and added that if so, "all U.S. bases and interests in the region will become targets of continuous, effective and painful attacks without any limitations or considerations." Furthermore, amid stark reporting on the "cascade of preventable failures" that led U.S. forces to annihilate at least 123 children at a school in Iran on day one of the war – the Trump administration hasn't owned up, but the evidence is overwhelming – multiple outlets reported regional preparations for renewed U.S. bombing. [Finally], as the Wall Street Journal depicted 'Veep' levels of mania in the White House – the president off the leash and alarming aides in the absence of departed press secretary Karoline Leavitt and chief of staff Susie Wiles, who has been addressing health concerns – the State Department issued a security alert to citizens across the Middle East, a common move ahead of military action. For Zeteo, Swin hit the phones, working his Washington sources, testing the strength of reports that Trump is looking for "foreign policy victories" ahead of the midterm elections. (Paywalled content I recommend throwing into archive.is or another paywall bypasser).