Main Points
- US president Donald Trump is set to address global leaders at the United Nations General Assembly in New York
- Nearly 130 heads of state and government, including Taoiseach Micheál Martin, will meet at the high-level event
- Trump’s address comes as the war with Iran nears its eight month, Trump will meet with Gulf leaders impacted by the war during his trip
- Trump has also left open the possibility of meeting Iran’s president Masoud Pezeshkian, who will be in New York
- The Trump administration has allowed a small Iranian delegation to attend the general assembly
Key Reads
- Trump and the media are in a shared nightmare after he inadvertently bans himself from TV
- ‘Anything could happen with me’: Trump can’t decide on his Iran strategy
- Iran hints at talks with US as leaders gather at UN
Guterres calls for UN security council reform
Guterres called for the UN security council to be reformed, describing the fact that no African country has a permanent seat on the council as “unjust and indefensible”.
Settlements in West Bank ‘raising specter of ethnic cleansing’ - Guterres
Outgoing UN Secretary General António Guterres is now addressing the assembly.
In his opening remarks he said the “fault lines in our world are widening” and “inequalities have intensified”.
The expansion of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank is raising the “spectre of ethnic cleansing” and damaging the prospect of a two-state solution in Israel and Palestine, Guterres said.
“Violence, displacement and settlement expansion by Israel in the Occupied West Bank are bulldozing the path to peace and raising the specter of ethnic cleansing. We cannot allow the two-state solution to disappear before our eyes,” he said.
Ongoing closure of Strait of Hormuz
In his speech Trump is expected to discuss the ongoing war in Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
A senior Iranian official earlier today said Iran can reopen the strait within seven days if the United States eases military pressure and lifts its blockade on Iranian ports.
“The US needs to announce that it wants to resolve the issue diplomatically, make that official, and then agree on a timeline for how the process will move forward,” the official said, adding that the Iranian delegation at the UN General Assembly has full authority to revive diplomacy with the US.
Iran’s president Masoud Pezeshkian, who left Tehran for New York on Tuesday morning, will not meet Trump at the UN headquarters, the official said.
Trump is due to meet a number of world leaders today including Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy and UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham.
Taoiseach to join discussions on Gaza
Taoiseach Micheál Martin is due to participate in several bilateral meetings in the coming days including some related to efforts to reach a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
He is also scheduled to meet outgoing UN Secretary General António Guterres, New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani and New York Governor Kathy Hochul.
Trump to address UN General Assembly
The United Nations General Assembly’s annual general debate begins in New York on Tuesday.
Nearly 130 heads of state and government, including Taoiseach Micheál Martin, will meet at the high-level event.
US President Donald Trump, one of the first speakers, is due to address the conference at about 3pm Irish time. He is expected to address conflicts in Gaza, Iran and Ukraine among other issues.
