NEW YORK, Sep 22 – President Donald Trump is returning to the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday as the international organization faces a series of challenges ranging from the war with Iran and disruptions to global energy markets to the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence and growing questions over the future role of the United Nations.
Trump’s appearance comes nearly seven months into the U.S. war with Iran, a conflict that has reshaped energy markets and intensified tensions across the Middle East. His administration has argued that military action was necessary to counter the threat posed by Iran’s nuclear program, while diplomats and governments around the region continue to push for a return to negotiations.
The president is expected to use his address to defend his administration’s approach to international crises and argue that U.S. leadership has produced results on issues that have challenged previous administrations. Mike Waltz, Trump’s chief envoy to the United Nations, said ahead of the speech that the president would emphasize how his administration has confronted difficult problems around the world.
The speech also comes as the United States is reducing its financial support for the United Nations, adding another layer of uncertainty to an institution that has long relied heavily on American funding and diplomatic involvement.
Iran war remains central to Trump’s foreign policy
The conflict with Iran is expected to dominate Trump’s appearance at the General Assembly.
At last year’s U.N. gathering, Trump said the United States had “demolished” Iran’s nuclear capabilities after ordering strikes on three major nuclear facilities in June 2025. Since then, the confrontation has developed into a much broader war involving military operations, attacks on energy infrastructure and disruptions to shipping routes across the Middle East.
U.S. and Israeli military strikes have killed senior Iranian leaders and severely damaged parts of Iran’s military infrastructure, including its air force and navy, according to U.S. officials. Washington has also imposed a blockade on Iranian oil exports, placing additional pressure on an economy already struggling under the weight of the conflict.
The war has nevertheless continued to affect countries far beyond Iran.
Commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has improved in recent weeks, partly because U.S. Navy vessels have helped guide commercial ships through the strategically important waterway. However, oil traffic remains well below levels seen before the war.
Brent crude has remained around $100 a barrel, compared with roughly $70 before the conflict began, keeping pressure on economies that depend heavily on imported energy.
Saudi Arabia also recently closed a major pipeline that had provided an alternative route for oil that could not move through the Gulf. The decision followed an attack on the pipeline by Iran-backed militants in Iraq.
Meanwhile, Houthi rebels in Yemen have expanded their activities near the Bab al-Mandab Strait, another crucial passage for international shipping. Their presence has made the Red Sea route increasingly difficult for oil carriers and added another source of uncertainty to global energy markets.
Qatar has been among the countries attempting to revive diplomacy between Washington and Tehran. Majed al-Ansari, spokesman for Qatar’s Foreign Ministry, said Monday that mediators were trying to overcome what he described as a “deep deficit of trust” between the two sides.
Speaking at the Concordia Annual Summit in New York, al-Ansari argued that the conflict would ultimately have to end through negotiations.
U.N. faces questions over its future role
Trump’s return to the United Nations also comes at a difficult time for the organization itself.
The president has repeatedly questioned the effectiveness of the United Nations, particularly on conflicts, migration and climate policy. He has previously accused the organization of failing to adequately address wars and has criticized its approach to global warming.
His administration’s decision to scale back U.S. financial support has added practical concerns about how the United Nations will operate and finance its programs.
The United States has historically been one of the organization’s most important financial contributors. Any sustained reduction in American funding could affect U.N. agencies and programs that operate in humanitarian, development and peacekeeping fields.
Trump is also expected to highlight his administration’s broader foreign policy record. At last year’s General Assembly, he portrayed himself as a peacemaker and pointed to diplomatic efforts in several conflicts while publicly suggesting that he deserved the Nobel Peace Prize.
This year, however, his administration is entering the gathering while involved in an active war that continues to produce regional and economic consequences.
Another major issue surrounding the gathering is artificial intelligence. Governments are increasingly concerned about the technology’s effects on employment, energy consumption, information systems and society.
The rapid construction of data centers has also raised questions about electricity demand and environmental consequences. Those concerns are increasingly becoming part of international discussions about how AI should be developed and regulated.
For the United Nations, the challenge is not only how to respond to existing conflicts, but also how to remain relevant as technological change creates problems that cross national borders.
Greenland agreement adds another diplomatic test
Trump’s administration is also preparing to sign an agreement with Danish and Greenlandic officials during the U.N. gathering.
The agreement is intended to establish a framework for expanding the U.S. military presence in Greenland, while the territory would remain part of the Kingdom of Denmark.
The arrangement follows months of controversy after Trump repeatedly said the United States should take control of Greenland and did not rule out the use of military force to achieve that goal.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said in an interview with TV2 Denmark that she expected the meeting to produce a good agreement.
The Greenland issue has been closely watched in Europe because Denmark is a NATO ally of the United States. Any expansion of the American military presence on the strategically located Arctic island therefore carries implications beyond the bilateral relationship.
Trump’s discussions at the United Nations will also take place against the backdrop of the continuing war between Russia and Ukraine.
During his 2024 presidential campaign, Trump said the conflict could be resolved rapidly after he returned to office. More than a year into his second term, however, fighting continues.
The president has increasingly voiced frustration with attacks against energy infrastructure in both countries.
Trump said last week that Russia and Ukraine had agreed not to target each other’s energy facilities. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he was prepared to support the proposal if Russia followed the arrangement. Moscow, meanwhile, linked its acceptance of the proposal to the lifting of Western energy sanctions.
Despite the statements, attacks on refineries, energy facilities and other infrastructure have continued.
Trump again expressed frustration Monday before leaving for New York, saying Russia had lost control of parts of its diesel industry because of the war and calling for an end to the conflict.
Trump prepares for talks with Britain, Japan and Venezuela
Beyond his speech, Trump is scheduled to hold several meetings that could shape discussions on energy, security and international relations.
One of the most closely watched will be his first face-to-face meeting with British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who became Britain’s leader in July.
Higher energy prices have placed additional pressure on the British economy, making the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz an important issue for London. Trump announced Monday that Britain would send a Royal Air Force aircraft to the Middle East to assist Saudi Arabia with defensive operations against Houthi attacks.
Trump is also scheduled to meet Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi as he prepares for a state visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping later this week.
Relations between Japan and China have become increasingly complicated, particularly over Taiwan and economic competition. Takaichi previously said Japan’s military could intervene if China took military action against Taiwan, a position that drew attention in Beijing and contributed to already sensitive bilateral relations.
The meeting with Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, will carry a different history.
Trump and Rodríguez are expected to discuss relations following the U.S. military operation in January that resulted in the capture of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his transfer to New York to face federal charges related to alleged narco-terrorism and drug trafficking.
Trump will also meet leaders and senior officials from the six Gulf Cooperation Council countries, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Their discussions are expected to focus heavily on the Iran war, regional security and attacks by Iran-backed groups, particularly the growing threat posed by the Houthis to Saudi Arabia and regional shipping.
Taken together, Trump’s meetings and speech at the United Nations will place the president at the center of several overlapping international crises. The Iran war, unstable energy markets, the future of U.S. involvement in the United Nations, Russia’s war in Ukraine and the emerging global debate over artificial intelligence are all competing for attention.
His message is expected to focus on the argument that strong American leadership can address those challenges. But the reaction from allies, diplomats and other governments will offer a measure of how Trump’s foreign policy is being received at a moment when the United States remains deeply involved in some of the world’s most consequential disputes.