Trump at UN: Let’s end Iran’s bloody agenda
ECONOMIC PRESSURE WILL TURN BACK TEHRAN’S AGGRESSION, HE SAYS
Iran’s leaders sow chaos, death and destruction. Iran’s leaders plunder the nation’s resources to enrich themselves and to spread mayhem in the Middle East and far beyond.”
Donald Trump |
US President
US President Donald Trump called on the rest of the world to isolate Iran and said a US campaign of “economic pressure” would turn back the Islamic Republic’s aggression, in his second address to the United Nations General Assembly.
He said that while he had replaced “the spectre of conflict” with North Korea “with a bold and new push for peace,” tensions with Iran have increased since the 2015 nuclear deal signed by former president Barack Obama. “We ask all nations to isolate Iran’s regime as long as its aggression continues.”
The country’s regime used proceeds from the accord to increase its military budget 40 per cent and strengthen the repression of its people, Trump said, calling the deal “a windfall” for the country’s leaders.
“Iran’s leaders sow chaos, death and destruction,” Trump said. “Iran’s leaders plunder the nation’s resources to enrich themselves and to spread mayhem in the Middle East and far beyond.”
“The United States has launched a campaign of economic pressure to deny the regime funds it needs to advance its bloody agenda,” he said.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani accused the United States of trying to overthrow his government, rejecting bilateral talks after Trump predicted stepped-up US sanctions would get Tehran to negotiate over its nuclear programme.
In his address to the General
Assembly, Rouhani accused the Trump administration of violating “state obligations” from the Obama administration by withdrawing from the 2015 nuclear deal that Iran signed with the US and five other major powers.
US President Donald Trump, whose apocalyptic speech in his UN General Assembly debut last year riveted much of the world’s attention, spoke again on the world’s most important diplomatic stage yesterday, at the organisation’s New York City headquarters.
Unlike 2017, however, when Trump threatened to annihilate North Korea and its leader, Kim Jong-un, he touted his budding friendship with Kim — even though there has been no progress in their underlying dispute over North Korea’s nuclear weapons and missiles.
Trump will almost certainly not, however, be meeting with President Hassan Rouhani of Iran, who has said he will not be meeting with the Americans. Trump has said that he would “always be available” for such an encounter. Yesterday, Trump said on Twitter that he had “no plans” to meet with the Iranian leader.
Successes at home, abroad
Trump boasted of what he called unprecedented accomplishments in the United States and around the world yesterday in his speech.
“In less than two years my administration has accomplished more than almost any administration in the history of our country,” he said, setting off a round of murmurs of laughter by world leaders in the cavernous hall.
“I didn’t expect that reaction,” he said.
“The United States is stronger, safer and a richer country than it was when I assumed office less than two years ago,” Trump said. “We are standing up for America and the American people. We are also standing up for the world.”
He said that under his administration, the United States had started building a border wall with Mexico, defeated the Daesh group and eased the crisis with North Korea through his dialogue with the leader of the nuclear-armed state.
“We have engaged with North Korea to replace the spectre of conflict with a bold and new push for peace,” Trump said, speaking about his Singapore summit with Kim.
“The missiles and rockets are no longer flying in every direction, nuclear testing has stopped,” he said. “I would like to thank chairman Kim for his courage and for the steps he has taken though much work remains to be done.”
However, Trump said sanctions against North Korea would stay in place until denuclearisation occurs, but called the moment “far greater” than people would understand.
He denounced Iran’s leaders, calling them a “corrupt dictatorship” responsible for “death and destruction” and said his re-imposition of nuclear sanctions had severely weakened the Iranian government.
“They do not respect their neighbours or borders or the sovereign rights of nations,” he said.
While Trump touted US energy independence, he also assailed Opec for rising oil prices.
“We want them to stop raising prices, we want them to start lowering prices,” he said in reference to Opec. “We are not going to put up with it, these horrible prices, much longer.”
He warned against international reliance on a single supplier of energy.
The United States is stronger, safer and a richer country than it was when I assumed office less than two years ago. We are standing up for America and the American people. We are also standing up for the world.”
In less than two years my administration has accomplished more than almost any administration in the history of our country.”
Donald Trump | US President