Trump to zero-in on Iran nuclear threat, Gaza plan and UN overhaul in world stage speech

NEW YORK — President Donald Trump will take the world stage Tuesday facing a convergence of wars and geopolitical challenges that could define his second-term foreign policy, from the conflict with Iran and Russia's war in Ukraine to intensifying strategic competition with China.

Trump is set to address the United Nations General Assembly as his administration pushes to end some of the world's most entrenched conflicts while simultaneously confronting adversaries that have deepened their economic and security ties in recent years.

And he's expected to use the address to argue that this White House has confronted global problems that previous administrations allowed to fester, according to officials previewing the president's remarks.

Trump will address Iran's nuclear ambitions, the administration's Gaza peace plan and developments in the Western Hemisphere, among other issues, the White House said ahead of the speech.

But Iran is also expected to dominate diplomacy on the sidelines of the gathering.

U.S. President Donald Trump addresses the 80th United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters in New York City, U.S., Sept. 23, 2025. (Reuters/Mike Segar)

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A senior U.S. official said Iran would be a "key topic of conversation and diplomacy" throughout the week as the administration continues its campaign to economically isolate Tehran. Trump is scheduled to meet with leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council following his address Tuesday, with the war and security in the Strait of Hormuz expected to be a prominent topic of those discussions.

Trump is also expected to renew his push to overhaul the United Nations itself, after using the same stage last year to sharply question the institution’s effectiveness.

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"What is the purpose of the United Nations?" Trump asked during his 2025 address, arguing that the body had played little role in resolving conflicts around the world. He said the U.N. had "tremendous potential," while suggesting it remains unrealized.

A senior U.S. official said ahead of Tuesday’s speech that the administration has helped cut more than $1 billion from the U.N. budget, while roughly 3,000 headquarters positions are being trimmed and more than a quarter of U.N. peacekeepers are being sent home.

"We call it having the U.N. on a diet, getting it back focused, leaner, and back to basics, focused on peace and security," the official said, describing the administration’s approach as doing "less things better."

U.S. President Donald Trump delivers a speech during the General Debate of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly UNGA at the UN headquarters in New York, Sept. 23, 2025. (Li Rui/Xinhua via Getty Images)

The push builds on a broader effort by Trump to scale back U.S. involvement in international organizations his administration argues do not serve American interests, while still using the U.N. as a venue for diplomacy.

In his address last year, Trump offered "the hand of American leadership and friendship" to countries willing to work with the United States, even as he sharply criticized the institution’s record.

the General Assembly could also provide an opening for diplomacy with Tehran, whose president and foreign minister are expected to be in New York for the annual gathering.

President Donald Trump, fifth left, attends a group photo session with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, fourth right, with United Arab Emirates Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, second right, Bahrain's Crown Prince and Prime Minister Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, left, Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, third left, Kuwait's Crown Prince Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, second left, Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, right, during the GCC Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

The president will leave New York Tuesday night and almost immediately turn to another major foreign policy challenge: China.

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Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives in Washington Wednesday ahead of meetings with Trump at the White House Thursday, putting Trump's U.N. appearance and the U.S.-China relationship in unusually close succession.