US President Donald Trump used a headline speech at the UN General Assembly to call on world nations to enforce the 'complete economic isolation of Iran' and defended his administration's strike on the country.
Key facts
- Trump called on all nations to enforce the 'complete economic isolation of Iran' during a UN General Assembly speech.
- He threatened to 'annihilate' Tehran in what the Guardian described as a bellicose address.
- Trump claimed unity against Iran would drive global oil prices down.
- He dismissed the threat posed by artificial intelligence as a 'hoax'.
- The speech defended his administration's foreign policy and its decision to strike Iran.
US President Donald Trump called on world nations to unite in isolating Tehran during a headline speech to the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, according to the Guardian.
“I call on all nations to help to enforce the complete economic isolation of Iran,” Trump said in the address, which the Guardian characterised as a bellicose defence of his administration’s foreign policy and its decision to strike Iran.
Trump linked the isolation of Iran to lower energy costs, telling the assembly: “If we stand united, we will soon see a world free of the last 51-year menace of Iranian terror … and oil prices will come plummeting down even lower than they were at the start of the conflict.”
During the speech, the president also threatened to “annihilate” Tehran, according to the Guardian’s report.
In the same address, Trump dismissed the threat posed by artificial intelligence, describing it as a “hoax.”
The remarks formed part of a wider defence of the administration’s approach to foreign policy delivered on the international stage at the UN.
Why it matters
A US president using the UN General Assembly to demand global economic isolation of Iran and to threaten military action signals a hardened stance that could affect diplomatic relations, energy markets and stability in the Middle East. The call for allied cooperation places pressure on other nations to align with Washington's approach.
Frequently asked questions
What did Trump ask other nations to do regarding Iran?
According to the Guardian, Trump called on all nations to help enforce the 'complete economic isolation of Iran' during his UN General Assembly speech.
Did Trump link Iran to oil prices?
Yes. He said that if nations stand united, the world would be free of Iranian terror and that oil prices would come 'plummeting down even lower than they were at the start of the conflict.'
What did Trump say about artificial intelligence?
The Guardian reported that Trump dismissed the threat from AI as a 'hoax' during the same address.