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.

TRUMP WARNS IRAN WILL BE HIT 'REALLY HARD' IF NUCLEAR NEGOTIATIONS COLLAPSE AGAIN 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.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION TOUTS MORE THAN $1B IN UN BUDGET CUTS AS REFORM PUSH GAINS MOMENTUM "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." 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.