UN General Assembly week sees fiery speeches from leaders of Ukraine, Iran, Israel and AI CEOs
At the UN General Assembly, leaders from Ukraine, Iran, Israel, Argentina and AI firms delivered dramatic remarks, while Mahmud Abbas was denied a US visa.
The week’s UN General Assembly in New York revived historic theatrical politics with a series of high-profile speeches. Ukrainian President Selenskyj labeled Russian President Putin a war-maker and appealed for continued international backing, even suggesting a meeting on a rocket. Iran’s president lifted a portrait of Ali Khamenei and showed photos of schoolchildren killed in a mistaken strike, vowing to defend the nation against external pressure.
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu used the platform to celebrate the Israeli armed forces and counter criticism, while Argentine President Javier Milei asserted Argentina’s sovereignty over the Falkland Islands, calling the UN a useless organization. Venezuelan officials Delcy Rodríguez pledged a democratic transition, and former president Nicolás Maduro remains detained in Brooklyn. AI leaders Dario Amodei of Anthropic warned that mismanaged AI could threaten humanity, and Sam Altman of OpenAI urged global collaboration, a stance that clashed with US calls for unrestricted competition. Meanwhile, Mahmud Abbas was again denied a US visa, prompting him to speak from Ramallah about settler violence and a two-state solution, defending UNRWA’s role after Israel’s closure of the agency.
Why it matters
The speeches highlight rising geopolitical tensions and growing calls for AI governance at a key global forum.
How this story developed
- Sep 16 World leaders convene at UN as Middle East, Ukraine wars and AI risks dominate agenda
- Sep 22 The UN secretary‑general race has narrowed to seven candidates after former Chilean president Michelle Bachelet withdrew.
- Sep 22 Iran says it can reopen the Hormuz Strait within seven days if the United States takes initial steps to lessen its naval pressure.
- Sep 22 Donald Trump told the United Nations that he expects the United States to secure a deal with Iran after the upcoming November midterm elections.
- Sep 22 The agenda now places artificial intelligence governance at the forefront of UN discussions.
- Sep 22 At the UN General Assembly, Donald Trump suggested the United States might completely destroy Iran to end the war he started with Israel.
- Sep 22 Trump announced a three‑hour US‑Iran meeting at the UN.
- Sep 22 Trump hinted at a possible face‑to‑face meeting between the tycoon and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian at the UN.
- Sep 23 Trump reported a meeting between US and Iranian officials at the UN summit.
- Sep 23 President Donald Trump described the US‑Iran talks as productive.
- Sep 23 Speaking before the United Nations, Masoud Pezeshkian presented images of attacks on Iranian civilians and condemned the United States for ignoring international law. He asserted that Iran's military is purely defensive and that the nation seeks only nuclear energy, not weapons. The American delegation walked out during his remarks. The speech followed a recent address by Donald Trump in which he threatened to eradicate Iran and expressed confidence in a future agreement after the US midterm elections.
- Sep 23 Emmanuel Macron at the UN General Assembly takes a stance opposite to Donald Trump.
- Sep 23 Indirect negotiations between U.S. envoys and Iran’s foreign minister began in New York.
- Sep 24 Guterres delivered his final UN General Assembly address, warning of deepening technological and geopolitical divides.
In this story
Related stories
15 in this thread