President Donald Trump spent much of his address to the United Nations General Assembly Tuesday berating Iran and complaining about the “embarrassment” of a nuclear deal his predecessor signed with the country.
“It is far past time for the nations of the world to confront another reckless regime,” he said upon first referring to the nation, following a condemnation of North Korea. “One that speaks openly of mass murder, vowing death to America, destruction to Israel and ruin for many leaders and nations in this room.”
“The Iranian government masks a corrupt dictatorship behind a false guise of a democracy,” he said.
Trump accused the country of funding Hezbollah “and other terrorists that kill innocent Muslims and attack their peaceful Arab and Israeli neighbors,” as well as Syrian president Bashar Al-Assad. He said Iran had “fueled Yemen’s civil war”—where American weaponry has fueled Saudi Arabia’s airstrikes on the other side of the conflict—and undermined “peace throughout the entire Middle East.”
“We cannot let a murderous regime continue these destabilizing activities while building dangerous missiles,” he said. “And we cannot abide by an agreement if it provides cover for the eventual construction of a nuclear program.”
The Trump administration has notably abided by that deal, though, and most recently waived sanctions on Iran while determining whether to certify the country’s compliance by the next deadline on Oct. 15. Still, the President trashed the deal at the U.N.
“The Iran deal was one of the worst and most one-sided transactions the United States has ever entered into,” he said. “Frankly, that deal is an embarrassment to the United States and I don’t think you’ve heard the last of it, believe me.”
“Oppressive regimes cannot endure forever and the day will come when the people will face a choice,” Trump said before moving on. “Will they continue down the path of poverty, bloodshed and terror? Or will the Iranian people return to the nation’s proud roots as a center of civilization, culture and wealth where their people can be happy and prosperous once again?”
