Washington — President Trump will address the United Nations General Assembly Tuesday morning and meet with other world leaders as he makes the case for his handling of the war with Iran and other foreign endeavors.
The speech comes as the Trump administration navigates several international conflicts — and expresses frustration with some U.S. allies. The war with Iran will hit the seven-month mark next week. The president is also seeking to close a peace plan for the Gaza Strip between Israel and Hamas, and has struggled to bring Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to an end.
Mr. Trump will visit the U.N. immediately before welcoming Chinese President Xi Jinping to the White House on Wednesday, as the U.S. president praises Xi in spite of questions about Chinese entities assisting Iran and buying Russian oil.
Mike Waltz, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, told reporters the president’s speech will focus on “how he has, and his administration have, confronted complex problems head-on around the world” when past administrations “kicked the can” down the road. Waltz said the president will talk about ensuring that Iran won’t have a nuclear weapon, and will give an update on progress on the Gaza peace plan implementation.
U.S. officials, speaking to reporters on a call on the condition of anonymity, said to pay “close attention” to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who will communicate that continuing to do business with Iran “is unacceptable, and there will be consequences for it.” Rubio is meeting with top foreign officials on the sidelines of the General Assembly, too.
One of the U.S. officials said the Trump administration has granted visas for a small Iranian delegation to be in New York, although it’s not clear if the president will interact with them. Iranian-backed Houthi militants in Yemen expanded their attacks on Saudi Arabia over the weekend, targeting Riyadh’s international airport and oil storage facilities — raising the prospect that fighting in the Middle East could spill over into another front.
The president weighed attacking the Houthis over the weekend at the request of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, but called off a possible round of strikes late Saturday, CBS News has reported.
It’s not clear what move Mr. Trump will make next on Iran. He told Axios, “Anything could happen with me.”
Mr. Trump is expected to meet with a number of leaders on the sidelines of the General Assembly, including U.K. Prime Minister Andy Burnham, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and various Gulf state leaders. He met with French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday. He’s also expected to have a pull-aside conversation with acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodriguez, about whom Mr. Trump has spoken positively since U.S. forces removed former leader Nicolás Maduro from power.
Meanwhile, the tenuous U.S.-China relationship is likely to linger in the background of the General Assembly, as Mr. Trump prepares to host Xi in Washington later this week. American and Chinese negotiators have sought to mend their economic relationship after last year’s tit-for-tat trade war, and have discussed opening up communications on the risks posed by artificial intelligence.
China is the world’s largest buyer of Russian crude oil, potentially putting Beijing in the crosshairs of a law signed by Mr. Trump last week threatening heavy tariffs against Russia’s largest energy customers. Mr. Trump also dismissed Wall Street Journal reporting that Chinese entities provided Iran with satellite imagery of a base in Jordan used by U.S. troops before Iran killed three Americans there.
“I think he’s behaved reasonably well, and we behave reasonably well,” Mr. Trump said of Xi’s conduct during the war with Iran.
As Mr. Trump continues to have an eye on Greenland, two U.S. officials told CBS News a new U.S. security agreement for Greenland is expected to be signed in New York City. The agreement, which Mr. Trump announced Friday, would bolster the United States’ current military presence there. Mr. Trump has long insisted the U.S. must acquire Greenland for its own international security interests, although both Denmark and Greenland have flatly and repeatedly rejected the idea.
Disputes over Greenland, trade, defense spending and Mr. Trump’s push for NATO members to assist with the Iran war have frequently brought him into conflict with Canada and European states over the last year.
Last year, during his speech at the General Assembly, Mr. Trump made a point of criticizing European allies over immigration and other disagreements. “Your countries are going to hell,” he said on the world stage. He also criticized the U.N. specifically.
“What is the purpose of the United Nations?” he posed in his speech.
The president’s U.N. movements won’t be nearly as accessible as normal for viewers.
After the White House banned Politico, CNN and MS NOW from the White House, the presidential network pool — consisting of ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox and NBC — suspended pool coverage of the president. That means there likely won’t be television coverage of the president’s meetings with foreign leaders. Politico, CNN and MS NOW announced they’re suing the Trump administration, citing First Amendment concerns, in an effort to restore access.
