Trump will take chair for Security Council Iran meeting

President Donald Trump will chair a UN Security Council meeting on Iran this month during the annual gathering of world leaders in New York, US ambassador to the world body Nikki Haley has said.

The US, which holds the council presidency for this month, has unsuccessfully pushed the Security Council to challenge Iran. Ms Haley has regularly harangued Tehran, accusing it of interfering in the wars in Syria and Yemen.

She said Mr Trump was chairing the meeting “to address Iran’s violations of international law and the general instability Iran sows throughout the entire Middle East region”.

Diplomats said Iran could request to speak at the September 26 meeting during the high-level week of the UN General Assembly. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is expected to address the assembly on September 25.

Ms Haley said on Tuesday that the US would not object to Mr Rouhani speaking.

Russia’s Deputy UN Ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy said the meeting should focus on the implementation of a 2015 resolution on Iran.

“We very much hope that there will be views voiced in connection with the US withdrawal” from a 2015 international nuclear deal, Mr Polyanskiy told the council.

In May, Mr Trump withdrew the US from the accord between Iran and six world powers aimed at stalling Tehran’s nuclear capabilities in return for lifting some sanctions.

He ordered the reimposition of US sanctions suspended under the deal.

Iran is still subject to a UN arms embargo and other restrictions in the resolution, which enshrines the nuclear deal. European powers have been scrambling to salvage the accord.

In February, Russia vetoed a US-led attempt to have the Security Council challenge Tehran for failing to prevent its weapons from falling into the hands of Yemen’s Houthi rebels.

Several council members on Tuesday also expressed opposition to Ms Haley’s plan to convene a meeting yesterday on Nicaragua.

More than 300 people have been killed and thousands injured in crackdowns by police and armed groups on protests over government plans to cut welfare benefits.

The protests developed into broader opposition against President Daniel Ortega.

China, Russia, Bolivia and others said the situation in Nicaragua was not a threat to international peace and security and therefore should not be discussed by the council.

Bolivia is expected to try to block the meeting today but does not have the minimum nine votes required to do so, diplomats said.