Amid Donald Trump's Speech at the United Nations

Donald Trump stood before representatives from nearly 190 countries on the morning of Tuesday, September 19, delivering his first speech at the United Nations General Assembly. The speech lasted about 40 minutes and contained many statements he had previously expressed in different terms. In this speech, after an introduction about the sovereignty of nations, he reiterated the 'America First' slogan, which had drawn significant negative reactions since the beginning of his presidency. However, this time, the repetition of 'America First' was accompanied by an explanation directed at representatives of other countries, stating, 'Just as all of you prioritize your interests as leaders of your nations.' Thus, he attempted to emphasize the issue of sovereignty and national interests for all countries in the world. At the same time, he noted that the United States, alongside its allies, would defend their values and rights. Trump made a vague reference to the membership of certain countries in the UN Human Rights Committee, which have a history of hostility towards human rights principles, implicitly criticizing their membership in such a committee. However, except for a few specific countries that will be discussed below, he made no mention of ongoing human rights issues, particularly the case of the Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar. He also emphasized that we must reject threats to sovereignty 'from Ukraine to the South China Sea' and work together to stand against those who threaten us with 'chaos, disorder, and terror.' North Korea and Iran were significant parts of Trump's remarks regarding three countries: North Korea, Iran, and Venezuela. He pointed out that today in our world, 'there exists a small group of rogue regimes that violate the fundamental principles of the United Nations and show no respect for the rights of their people or the sovereignty of their countries.' He emphasized that if 'the multitude of the righteous do not confront a few oppressors, evil and wickedness will prevail.' Following these remarks, Trump targeted the North Korean regime with harsh words, asserting that North Korea's actions by 'a band of criminals' in developing missiles and nuclear bombs are against the interests of the entire world. Trump referred to Kim Jong-un, the leader of North Korea, as 'Rocket Man' who is on a mission to destroy himself. Despite inviting all countries to confront North Korea, Trump insisted that if necessary, the United States would 'act alone and totally destroy North Korea.' While he displayed an unprecedented level of frankness in public at the United Nations with this threat, he also expressed hope that such action would not be necessary. In another part of his speech regarding North Korea, Trump held the leaders of that country responsible for 'the deaths caused by hunger of millions of citizens, imprisonment, torture, and the oppression of countless others in North Korea.' He referenced the case of an American student imprisoned in North Korea who died shortly after being returned to the U.S. He also mentioned Kim Jong-un's brother, who was killed at an airport in an assassination attempt, citing it as an example of the repressive actions of the Pyongyang regime. Following that, he emphasized the necessity of continuing pressure on North Korea and thanked China and Russia for their cooperation in passing sanctions in the Security Council, calling for increased pressure until North Korea is isolated and changes its methods. After North Korea, Trump targeted Iran with his harsh remarks, labeling it another rogue regime. He referred to Iran as a country that chants 'Death to America and the destruction of Israel' and wishes for 'the destruction of many countries whose representatives are present in this hall.' Trump described Iran as a regime that has turned a historically rich country into a symbol of 'economic collapse' and a rogue state, with its main exports being 'violence, bloodshed, and chaos.' In his view, 'the greatest damage from this regime has been inflicted on the people of Iran.' Trump stated, 'Instead of using its oil resources and revenues for the welfare of its people, Iran spends it on financially supporting Hezbollah, which targets innocent and peace-loving Muslims and Arabs and Israel in the neighborhood.' In another part of his speech, Trump accused Iran of 'spending the wealth of the nation to support the dictatorship of Bashar al-Assad, the civil war in Yemen, and undermining peace throughout the Middle East.' He called the nuclear deal with Iran 'shameful' and one of the worst agreements the United States has ever entered into. Trump, who has long criticized the nuclear deal with Iran since his campaign, emphasized in his speech today at the UN General Assembly that 'we cannot allow Iran to continue these destabilizing activities' and 'we cannot be committed to an agreement that is used as cover for a nuclear program.' Additionally, Trump called on world leaders to join him in urging the Iranian government to 'refrain from pursuing death and destruction.' He also demanded 'the freedom of all Americans and citizens of other countries' that the Iranian regime 'illegally holds in prison.' He insisted that 'Iran must respect the sovereignty of its neighbors.' In conclusion, Trump emphasized that 'the people of Iran want change, and apart from the vast power of the United States, the leaders of Iran fear their own people more than anything else,' which is why they resort to repressive methods against political opponents and restrict social rights and freedoms. He predicted that 'eventually, the people of Iran will return to their glorious path as the center of global civilization.' Trump briefly mentioned changes in counter-terrorism programs in the region, specifically referring to the U.S. presence in Afghanistan and the fight against al-Qaeda and the Taliban, and appreciated the efforts made in the fight against terrorism in the Middle East and the cooperation of regional countries. He praised the U.S. achievements in controlling the crisis in Syria and Iraq, stating that the U.S. desires a proper political solution to the Syrian crisis. At the same time, he strongly condemned the use of chemical weapons by the 'criminal regime of Bashar al-Assad' and deemed the U.S. airstrike in Syria related to this issue justified. Trump spoke critically of Cuba and Venezuela, criticizing the Maduro government for its cult-like approach to socialist ideology. Part of the introduction of this speech referred to the ideals of the founding era of the American Revolution, and overall, according to Thomas Pickering, a former U.S. ambassador to the UN, it was 'very dangerous and very alluring.' In parts of Trump's speech, emphasis was placed on reorganizing the United Nations and reviving its historical mission towards ensuring global peace and progress, although he had previously spoken about reducing U.S. contributions to the UN budget, which former and current U.S. representatives to the UN, such as John Negroponte, Andrew Yang, Bill Richardson, and Thomas Pickering, do not agree with. Although Trump emphasized respect for the national sovereignty of countries in his speech, it seems that at least three countries, North Korea, Iran, and Venezuela, were excluded from this notion. He criticized these three countries in the strongest terms possible, accusing all three of violating the rights of their citizens. It is still too early to provide a definitive interpretation of the impacts of this speech on U.S. policy and foreign policy towards Iran and North Korea, but certainly, by mid-October, we should expect unpredictable reactions concerning the Iran nuclear agreement. In mid-October, the U.S. President must present the government's view on Iran's compliance with the provisions of the nuclear agreement (JCPOA) to Congress. European positions indicate that they are speaking cautiously on this matter. But will the U.S. withdraw from this agreement or merely direct accusations at Iran and wait for the International Atomic Energy Agency's investigation? Alongside these developments, the presence and activities of Iran's diplomatic team alongside President Hassan Rouhani, and his speech which will be delivered tomorrow at the UN General Assembly, are already under scrutiny by news agencies and representatives of European and American diplomacy. And we must not forget that Benjamin Netanyahu's speech is also another part of this diplomatic confrontation taking place in New York, the capital of world diplomacy.