Live updates: World leaders gather in New York for 2025 United Nations General Assembly

3 hours ago

Macron says ‘an agreement is still possible’ with Iran as sanctions deadline looms

From Annabella Rosciglione

French President Emmanuel Macron commented on his meeting with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian as the deadline for Europe to avoid imposing sanctions on Iran approaches.

“Our position is clear: Iran must never acquire nuclear weapons,” Macron said, adding, “In light of Iran’s failure to comply with its nuclear commitments, we, along with Germany and the United Kingdom, have decided to activate the ‘snapback’ mechanism, which allows for the reimposition of sanctions against Iran.”

Macron said demands for Iran include that the country will give full access to IAEA inspectors in Iran, will be transparent regarding stockpiles of enriched materials, and immediately resume negotiations.

“An agreement is still possible. Only a few hours remain. Now, it is up to Iran to respond to the legal conditions we have set,” the French president said.

3 hours ago

EU president has ‘frank exchange’ with Chinese premier

From Annabella Rosciglione

European Union President Ursula von der Leyen said she had a “good and frank exchange” with Chinese Premier Li Qiang. She said the focus of the conversation was the “productive EU–China Summit in July.”

“We both agreed on the importance of moving from words to action as soon as possible. The best way forward is to build on the good cooperation we already share on climate and biodiversity,” she said.

She said they also discussed “trade matters,” regarding Europe’s concerns about “export controls, market access, and overcapacity.” She also said they discussed Russia’s war against Ukraine, noting she “explained Europe’s commitment to cutting off the revenue streams that fuel Russia’s war.”

“I expressed my request to China to use its influence to help bring an end to the killing and encourage Russia to go to the negotiating table. Time for diplomacy is now. It would send a strong signal to the world,” she said.

3 hours ago

Arab leaders support Trump outline for ending Gaza war

From Annabella Rosciglione

Leaders in the Middle East indicated their support for President Donald Trump’s outline for ending Israel’s war in Gaza during a meeting with Trump on Tuesday.

A follow-up meeting was held on Wednesday between Secretary of State Marco Rubio, U.S. Envoy Steve Witkoff, and the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and Jordan in order to turn Trump’s proposals into a more detailed plan.

Arab leaders said their conditions for the war’s end would include that Israel would not occupy Gaza, would not further annex parts of the West Bank and Gaza, and that humanitarian aid would be able to freely flow into Gaza.

Other principles proposed by the Trump administration include the release of all remaining hostages, a permanent ceasefire, and a post-war plan for governing Gaza without Hamas.

4 hours ago

Rubio meets with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov

From Joseph Nepomuceno, Mike Brest

Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in New York City on Wednesday, as the United Nations General Assembly hosts its general debate between world leaders.

A spokesperson for the State Department told the Washington Examiner, “Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. The Secretary reiterated President Trump’s call for the killing to stop and the need for Moscow to take meaningful steps toward a durable resolution of the Russia-Ukraine war.”

This comes after President Trump’s Truth Social post on Tuesday, when he wrote, “I think Ukraine, with the support of the European Union, is in a position to fight and WIN all of Ukraine back in its original form.”

4 hours ago

Al Sharaa says Syria ‘stands firmly with the people of Gaza’

From Brady Knox

Syrian President Ahmed al Sharaa voiced his support for Gaza after condemning Israeli strikes against his country.

Drawing parallels between his country’s struggle and that of Gaza, al Sharaa said Syria “stands firmly with the people of Gaza,” eliciting applause.

Al Sharaa traveled to Syria to establish the Islamic State’s branch in the country, then broke with the group over a leadership dispute to run the country’s Al Qaeda affiliate. Hamas, which runs the government of Gaza, is also a designated terrorist group.

Earlier in his speech, al Sharaa condemned Israel’s strikes against his country, undertaken in defense of Syria’s Druze minority after jihadist elements of the Syrian military committed massacres against them.

4 hours ago

Syrian president condemns Israeli strikes, but committed to dialogue

From Brady Knox

Al-Sharaa condemned Israel’s strikes against government forces in Syria, though he left the door open to dialogue.

The Syrian president warned that the airstrikes threatened to break up the Syrian state and reverse the progress it had made.

Israel has repeatedly struck government targets in defense of the Druze population of southern Syria, after government forces committed pogroms against them. The United States has largely sided with the fragile government in Damascus and attempted to reconcile the two.

4 hours ago

Al-Sharaa condemns ‘criminal’ Assad regime abuses

From Brady Knox

Syrian President Al-Sharaa began his speech with an extensive denunciation of the former government of Bashar al-Assad.

While portraying his Syria as the “cradle of civilization,” former Islamic State and al Qaeda lieutenant Sharaa said it had been occupied by a “criminal” regime for the past 60 years.

He outlined a litany of human rights abuses committed by the former regime, including the use of chemical weapons, torture, and drug production.

4 hours ago

Macron seen meeting with Iranian president at UN amid sanction negotiations

From Brady Knox

French President Emmanuel Macron met with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian at the United Nations General Assembly as their nations continue nuclear negotiations.

Lower-level meetings between France and Iran haven’t borne any fruit yet.

4 hours ago

Milei calls for Falklands to be handed over to Argentina

From Brady Knox

Milei called for the United Kingdom to hand over the Falkland Islands.

“First, I wish to reiterate our legitimate claim and unrenouncable claim” over the Falkland Islands, he said, using the Argentinian term for the islands, the Malvinas, and saying they continued to be “illegally occupied.”

“In spite of the fact that 80 years have elapsed since the creation of this organization, colonial situations such as this one remain unresolved. For this reason, we call on the United Kingdom to resume bilateral negotiations,” in accordance with U.N. resolutions, Milei added.

Argentina fought an unsuccessful war to take control of the Falkland Islands in 1982. It continues to assert that it is the true owner of the islands.

4 hours ago

Trump assures Arab leaders he won’t let Israel annex West Bank

From Brady Knox

Trump pledged to Arab leaders that he would not let Israel annex the West Bank.

During a Tuesday sit-down with the leaders of eight Arab countries, the president assuaged concerns that Israel would carry out its long-held goal of annexing the West Bank, which is governed by Hamas’s rival, Fatah. His pledge was confirmed by sources speaking with Politico and Axios.

Israel has renewed its plans for annexation after the recognition of a Palestinian state by several Western countries at the United Nations General Assembly, but it must get the approval of its closest ally. Trump blocked Israel’s annexation of the West Bank multiple times during his first term.

4 hours ago

Argentina’s Milei calls for UN to focus on its mission

From Brady Knox

Argentine President Javier Milei urged the United Nations to redirect its mission and prioritize its central functions.

“The U.N. … must return to the roots that made it the great organization that it once was,” he said.

“The central mission of the United Nations is to preserve international peace and security. Everything else must be viewed as complimentary to or in service of that goal, the strategic management of resources of this institution consequencely requires that we stick to our priorities and not to take on others,” Milei added.

He argued that the U.N. must only tackle issues when it is impossible to do so on a national level.

4 hours ago

Milei praises Trump in his ‘titanic task’ 

From Brady Knox

Argentine President Javier Milei lavished praise on President Donald Trump during his United Nations General Assembly speech, finding common ground on several topics.

“We are not the only ones that are taking difficult decisions at this juncture, as history demands that we do,” he said. “President Trump of the United States also understands that the time has come to reverse a dynamic that is leading the United States towards a disaster.”

“His unflinching and successful policy in terms of halting illegal immigration makes that conviction more than clear. He knows that he must do what is necessary, even though many may not like it, before it’s too late,” Milei added.

The noted free marketer also praised Trump for reordering the global trade system and his “cleaning up of institutional capture” of the U.S. by left-wing factions.

5 hours ago

Milei condemns UN sanctioning immigration ‘invasion’

From Brady Knox

Argentine President Javier Milei condemned the United Nations for facilitating mass immigration, calling it an “invasion.”

“The problem is not only one of economic policy. We also see it in violations of equality before the law, or when we indiscriminately open the door to immigration for political reasons,” he said.

“What we don’t see is immigration, what we see is invasion,” Milei added.

He pointed to the United States as a prime example of a place targeted by large numbers of immigrants.

5 hours ago

Milei slams United Nations over violations of ‘natural rights’

From Brady Knox

Argentine President Javier Milei slammed the United Nations over its alleged violation of “natural rights,” a theme of his previous addresses.

He again outlined his libertarian ideology during his General Assembly speech, condemning big government, wealth distribution, and the U.N.’s violation of “natural rights.”

Milei derided the expansion of state power as “suffocating” the lives of citizens, especially young people.

5 hours ago

President of Estonia criticizes Israel’s war in Gaza

From Brady Knox

Estonian President Alar Karis spent much of his United Nations General Assembly speech criticizing Israel’s war in Gaza while commending the peace efforts of France and Saudi Arabia.

After condemning Hamas and its surprise attack in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, he said that “ordinary people and children in Gaza must not be the ones to pay the price.”

“I am devastated that so many innocent lives, including children’s lives, have been lost to the military action, starvation, and the spread of disease. The promise of international humanitarian law was to ensure that people do not suffer during … armed conflicts, and yet, what has unfolded in Gaza has crossed all the lines,” Karis said.

He said that Estonia supports all efforts toward a ceasefire and urged Israel to abide by international law. Karis said a “comprehensive political process” must be established to ensure a lasting peace, praising the efforts of France and Saudi Arabia to implement a two-state solution.