US President Donald Trump delivered a 37-minute speech to the United Nations General Assembly, warning Iran that he would decide whether to make a deal with the country or "annihilate" it. Trump claimed the US has successfully confronted its adversaries and reshaped the world order under his leadership. He cited his administration's actions, including joining Israel to attack Iran and ordering a raid on Venezuela, as evidence of his commitment to protecting US interests.
Despite claiming credit as a peacemaker, Trump's speech was marked by a jarring warning to Iran, which he claimed was launched to stop Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons. A UN fact-finding mission recently reported reasonable grounds to believe US forces committed war crimes in two strikes on Iran, including one that killed scores of children in a primary school. Trump reiterated that he believed Iran would "make a deal right after" the US midterm elections in November.
Trump dedicated much of his speech to proclaiming US achievements, claiming the country is now the "most powerful country in the world". He threatened to use US "unmatched military might" to secure Washington's interests in Latin America and predicted that Cuba would soon "fall". Members of the Cuban delegation walked out of the hall as Trump referenced his pressure campaign against the country, which has suffered repeated nationwide blackouts due to a US-imposed fuel blockade.
Trump also hailed a deal with Greenland, under which the US would build two bases in the Arctic territory. The deal, signed with the leaders of Denmark and Greenland on the sidelines of the UN, has sparked divisions within US alliances, including NATO, and revived fears that the US is no longer a reliable partner. Trump's comments were met with criticism from some countries, which have expressed concerns about US actions.
Trump renewed his attack on what he claimed were "far-left globalist" bodies, including the United Nations itself and the International Criminal Court, which he urged other countries to boycott. He also rejected calls for international supervision of artificial intelligence, calling them a "globalist scheme" to control the new technology. Instead, Trump announced that the US government would use the term "super intelligence" rather than "artificial intelligence" in its communications.
Trump's comments on artificial intelligence were at odds with those of UN chief Antonio Guterres, who called for the US and China to start a dialogue on the technology's future. Guterres warned that the development of AI could outpace the ability to control it and urged governments with the greatest AI capabilities to establish channels for dialogue, transparency, trust, and cooperation.
The speech was met with mixed reactions, with some countries expressing concerns about Trump's aggressive rhetoric and others welcoming his commitment to US interests. The US president's comments on Iran, AI, and the ICC are likely to continue to be debated by world leaders in the coming days.
Key points
- Trump threatens to "annihilate" Iran if a deal is not reached
- Trump rejects international supervision of artificial intelligence
- Trump hails a deal with Greenland to build two US bases
