US President Donald Trump used his speech at the UN General Assembly to defend his administration's foreign policy course and military action against Iran. In his nearly 40-minute speech, he stated that the United States had prevented Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon and warned that he was faced with a choice between a diplomatic agreement and even larger-scale action against the Islamic Republic.
“While others talked, I acted“, said Trump, presenting his approach to international conflicts. According to the American president, the United States should use its economic and military power when it believes its national interests and security are threatened.
Iran was the main focus
A significant part of the speech was devoted to Iran. Trump identified the country as the main sponsor of terrorism and stated that Tehran's nuclear program posed a threat that could not be left unanswered.
The American president said that he had a “big decision“ to make – whether to reach an agreement that would allow Iran to rebuild its economy, or whether the United States would take action to destroy the Islamic Republic.
Trump also said he expected a deal with Iran to be reached after the U.S. midterm elections in November. He later said that U.S. officials had held a three-hour meeting with an Iranian delegation on the sidelines of the General Assembly.
These two lines - the threat of new military action and the stated willingness to negotiate - were among the main messages of the speech.
Ukraine: Trump vows to continue efforts to end the war
In his speech, Trump also touched on the war in Ukraine. He said the US was working with the leaders of Russia and Ukraine and that Washington would continue efforts to end the conflict.
The US president did not present a new detailed plan for the negotiations, but said he believed a solution could be reached faster than many expected.
The topic of Ukraine was also particularly relevant because of Trump's meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, which was part of his diplomatic program in New York.
The US and the Western Hemisphere
Another important emphasis was the role of the US in the Western Hemisphere hemisphere.
Trump said that Washington would not allow threats to American interests to be established in the region and stressed its readiness to use military force if necessary.
He defended his administration's actions in Venezuela and presented American policy towards the country as part of a broader security and counternarcotics strategy. Trump also spoke about actions against drug trafficking groups, which he described as a threat to US security.
Greenland and the Arctic
Trump also touched on relations with Denmark and Greenland. On the day of his speech, he signed a security agreement with the Danish Prime Minister and the Prime Minister of Greenland.
The American president presented Greenland as a strategically important territory for the security of North America, the Arctic and the North Atlantic. The agreement provides for the expansion of the US military presence and the use of additional defense zones on the island.
Criticism of the UN and global governance
In his speech, Trump also sharply criticized the United Nations itself.
The US president said that he did not accept the idea of global governance and stressed that the US would not allow the creation of structures that, in his opinion, limit national sovereignty.
He also said that there would be no “global government“ and “global taxes“ under his administration.
Migration and American Sovereignty
Migration was another major topic. Trump defended his policy of controlling the US border and said that national sovereignty should be a guiding principle.
He criticized international institutions that he said were pressuring the US over its immigration policy. Trump also linked the topic to the fight against crime and drug trafficking.
Artificial intelligence as a new field of global competition
At the end of his speech, Trump devoted significant attention to artificial intelligence.
He stated that the United States must maintain its leadership in the development of new technologies and proposed the term “artificial intelligence“ to be replaced by “superintelligence“.
Trump opposed the idea of an international regime, which he said could place excessive restrictions on the development of the technology. At the same time, he said that the United States would strive to ensure that artificial intelligence is developed in a safe and responsible way.
Speech about American power
In his overall speech, Trump presented American power - military, economic and technological - as a key tool for achieving Washington's international goals.
The main message was that the United States would not rely solely on diplomatic declarations when the administration judged that American interests were at risk. This position was particularly clear with regard to Iran and the Western Hemisphere.
At the same time, Trump said that Washington remained ready to negotiate when diplomatic solutions were possible.
The speech outlined a foreign policy approach in which national sovereignty, military power, economic pressure, and technological leadership take center stage. It put Iran at the center of Washington's current international policy, but at the same time showed that the administration views Ukraine, Venezuela, the Arctic, migration, and artificial intelligence as parts of a broader concept of the US role in the world.
For “Facts“ I would keep this summary format because the speech is large enough not to be reduced to just the threat to Iran. I also included the important context from the official summary from the UN and the White House, separating Trump's claims from verifiable facts. AP, for example, points out that some of the claims in the speech were inaccurate or misleading, so it is not good to present all of his statements as established facts.
Sources: Reuters, BTA, White House