Search form

You are here

  • Home
  • As it happened: UN General Assembly day one


Opinion

Dr. Abdel Aziz Aluwaisheg

Deterring Iranian aggression a priority at UN General Assembly

Author
Read article

As it happened: UN General Assembly day one

1 / 5
The first day of debates at the 74th UN General Assembly is under way at UN headquarters in New York. (AP)
2 / 5
Saudi Arabia's minister of state for foreign affairs Adel Al-Jubeir said investigations show Iran conducted the recent attacks on Aramco facilities and will consider a military response once its investigation is complete during a Council on Foreign Relations panel on the sidelines. (Twitter: @KSAmofaEN)
3 / 5
US President Donald Trump addressing the audience. (Reuters)
4 / 5
El-Sisi stressed the importance of finding a solution to the Palestinian issue and condemned the attacks on Saudi Aramco facilities. (AP)
5 / 5
The Saudi Arabian delegation among the dignataries in the audience includes Minister of Foreign Affairs Ibrahim Al-Assaf, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel Al-Jubeir and Saudi ambassador to the US Princess Reema bint Bandar bin Sultan. (Screenshot/UN TV)
Updated 24 September 2019
Arab News
Follow

As it happened: UN General Assembly day one

  • The first day of debates at the 74th UN General Assembly is under way at UN headquarters in New York
  • President Donald Trump took center stage with a strong message to Iran
Updated 24 September 2019
Arab News

NEW YORK: President Donald Trump took center stage at the UN General Assembly on Tuesday to deliver a strong defense of nationalism while exhorting the world to act against Iran's “bloodlust” and rising aggression.

The president called on the global leaders seated before him to join the US in further isolating Tehran, pushing them to use economic sanctions to pressure Iran to give up its nuclear program and stop attacks that are rattling the Middle East.

“Not only is Iran the world's largest state sponsor of terrorism, but Iran's leaders are fueling the tragic wars in both Syria and Yemen,” Trump said. "All nations have a duty to act. No responsible government should subsidize Iran's bloodlust.”

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia's minister of state for foreign affairs Adel Al-Jubeir said investigations show Iran conducted the recent attacks on Aramco facilities and will consider a military response once its investigation is complete during a Council on Foreign Relations panel on the sidelines.

“We want to mobilize international support, and we want to look at all options - diplomatic options, economic options and military options - and then make the decision,” Al-Jubeir said at a conference on the sidelines of the UNGA. “We want to avoid war. But at the same time we have to signal to the Iranians that ‘your behavior cannot continue’,” he added. For a full round-up of Al-Jubeir's comments, click here.

Also on Tuesday Egyptian President Abdel Fatteh El-Sisi said that a concerted effort was needed to stop militias taking control of Libya and to prevent external actors from intervening there.

The Palestine-Israel situation was also a topic of discussion, something King Abdullah II of Jordan raised during his address, saying that regional stability will always remain fragile if the two parties do not agree, the occupation was a "human tragedy" and that Palestinians deserve their full rights.

To follow how day one unfolded, scroll below...

-------

21:30 - That is a wrap on Arab News coverage of day one, make sure to come back tomorrow for more live coverage of the second day of debates.

21:00 - It is not just all about the debates at the UN headquarters, there are all sorts of events on the sidelines - and Saudi Arabia's foreign minister Ibrahim Al-Assaf attended such an event, seen here at a joint KSRelief and UNWRA event.

20:00 - French president Emmanuel Macron's turn to address the audience, and he says the attacks on Saudi Aramco facilities "changed the situation" in the Middle East. He adds that the time is now for the US and Iran to pursue new negotiations, and it must include the JCPOA nuclear deal parties and other regional nations.

19:20 - Saudi Arabia's Al-Jubeir is speaking on the sidelines of the UNGA with the Council on Foreign Relations and is speaking about Iran's involvement in the Saudi Aramco attacks, saying investigations show the weapons used originated from Iran. He also said the Islamic Republic is suffering under US sanctions.

He said the Arab coalition is fighting in Yemen to stabilize the region and to prevent the Houthis taking full control and the spread other militia affiliated to Iran.

Al-Jubeir also raised the issue of Qatar's funding of terrorist groups, saying that although the state was a neighbor it had to alter its policies of funding malign groups in the region which started in 1996. He also said Saudi Arabia was constantly strengthening its defense systems and had stopped hundreds of drones from attacking the Kingdom. 

18:40 - Jordan's King Abdullah II uses his address to the audience to highlight the plight of the Palestinian people and expresses his wish for a peaceful solution between Palestine and Israel, adding the occupation is an ongoing "human tragedy" - urging the global community to allow Palestinians to get their full rights.

18:20 - While Bolivia's president speaks and we wait for Jordan's King Abdullah II, some of the leaders and dignitaries have broken for a lunch break, with Secretary General Guterres dining with Trump and German Chancellor Angela Merkel...

17:40 - Read Arab News columnist Abdel Aziz Aluwaisheg's thoughts on why deterring Iranian aggression is a priority at UN General Assembly...

Opinion

This section contains relevant reference points, placed in (Opinion field)

17:00 - As the presidents of Nigeria and Maldives speak, and we await an address from Jordan's King Abdullah II later this afternoon, you can read more Arab News stories from the UN General Assembly 2019, including analysis on the US and Iran appearing to be on a collision course at UN.

READ MORE: Trump calls on world to stand up to 'Iran's bloodlust'

Protesters urge Trump to reject compromise with Iran

16:20 - Next to address the General Assembly is Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who uses his address to remind them of the humanitarian cost of Syria's civil war and called for an end to the nearly nine-year-old war, adding that many of the 3.6 million asylum seekers residing in Turkey are Syrian.

16:15 - El-Sisi stresses the importance of finding a solution to the Palestinian issue, with its own state and East Jeruslaem as its capital. Also condemns the attacks on Saudi Aramco facilities, reiterating the need for nations to combat terrorism and extremism through tolerance and dialogue.

15:55 - Next to speak is Egyptian president El-Sisi, who arrived earlier at the UN Headquarters...

15:30 - Donald Trump uses part of his address to urge the world community to stop "subsidizing Iran's bloodlust" and says all nations have a duty to act on Iran's aggression in the Middle East. He also reiterates his belief that Iran must not acquire a nuclear weapon, while confirming the US decision to tighten sactions on Iran's central bank and sovereign wealth fund following attacks on Saudi Aramco facilities.

14:55 - US President Donald Trump has arrived ahead of his address, where he plans to tell the UNGA that the US "does not seek conflict with any other nation" as tensions with Iran rise.

14:30 - The Saudi Arabian delegation among the dignitaries in the audience includes Minister of Foreign Affairs Ibrahim Al-Assaf, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel Al-Jubeir and Saudi ambassador to the US Princess Reema bint Bandar bin Sultan.

14:15 - Secretary General Antonio Guterres opens proceedings by outlining the work of the United Nations since last year's assembly. He spoke about the newly drafted Syrian constitution and called the attacks on Saudi Aramco facilities in the Kingdom "totally unacceptable" urging all countries to push for "reason and restraint."

14:00 — Good afternoon. The big names speaking on day one of the debates include US president Donald Trump, UK prime minister Boris Johnson and French president Emmanuel Macron. And from the Middle East - Egyptian president Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and King Abdullah II of Jordan.

(With Agencies)

Topics: UN General Assembly UN UN General Assembly 2019

Related

World
UN General Assembly endorses global migration accord
World
UN General Assembly Day 2: Yemeni president thanks Saudi Arabia, Lebanon slams West's double standards

Kremlin declines to accept responsibility for plane crash

Updated 4 sec ago
AFP
Follow

Kremlin declines to accept responsibility for plane crash

  • Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has said the Azerbaijani Airlines passenger jet was shot at ‘from the ground’ over the Russian city of Grozny where it had been due to land
Updated 4 sec ago
AFP
MOSCOW: The Kremlin on Thursday declined to say Russian forces accidentally shot at an Azerbaijani plane which crashed last month, despite Baku repeatedly urging it to accept responsibility for the fatal disaster.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has said the Azerbaijani Airlines passenger jet, which crashed in Kazakhstan on December 25, killing 38 people, was shot at “from the ground” over the Russian city of Grozny where it had been due to land.
Russia has said its air defenses were working at the time repelling Ukrainian drones but has stopped short of saying it shot at the plane.
Aliyev, a close ally of Moscow, this week repeated that “guilt” lay with Russia and accused it of “concealment” of the real causes.
“We are interested in an absolutely objective and impartial investigation in order to establish the causes of this catastrophe,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday.
“We are waiting for the results of the commission,” he added, saying Russian “specialists are giving their full cooperation.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin called Aliyev twice since the disaster.
The Kremlin said he had apologized for the fact the incident took place over Russian airspace but its account of the phone calls do not say Putin accepted responsibility.
Aliyev has expressed anger over Moscow’s handling of the crash.
He issued fierce criticism and demanded an apology earlier this week, calling on Moscow to punish those responsible for the “criminal” shooting of the plane.
Aliyev said air defense measures for Grozny – the capital of Russia’s Chechnya republic – were only announced after the plane had been “shot from the ground.”
Azerbaijan says the plane was riddled with holes and that preliminary results of its investigation show it was accidentally hit by a Russian air defense missile.

Pope Francis, ramping up criticism of Israel, calls situation in Gaza ‘shameful’

Updated 09 January 2025
Reuters
Follow

Pope Francis, ramping up criticism of Israel, calls situation in Gaza ‘shameful’

  • Pope Francis: ‘We cannot in any way accept the bombing of civilians’
  • ‘We cannot accept that children are freezing to death because hospitals have been destroyed or a country’s energy network has been hit’
Updated 09 January 2025
Reuters

VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis on Thursday stepped up his recent criticisms of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, calling the humanitarian situation in the Palestinian enclave “very serious and shameful.”
In a yearly address to diplomats delivered on his behalf by an aide, Francis appeared to reference deaths caused by winter cold in Gaza, where there is almost no electricity.
“We cannot in any way accept the bombing of civilians,” the text said.
“We cannot accept that children are freezing to death because hospitals have been destroyed or a country’s energy network has been hit.”
The pope was present for the address but asked an aide to read it for him as he is recovering from a cold.

Topics: War on Gaza Israel Pope Francis Gaza

Related

video
Middle-East
Pope Francis again condemns ‘cruelty’ of Israeli strikes on Gaza
Update
World
Pope Francis slams ‘cruelty’ of strike killing Gaza children

Russia battles Kyiv drone strike blaze for second day

Updated 09 January 2025
AFP
Follow

Russia battles Kyiv drone strike blaze for second day

  • Kyiv hit the depot in the city of Engels, some 500 kilometers from the two countries’ border
  • Hours after the drone strike, Russia bombed the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia
Updated 09 January 2025
AFP

MOSCOW: Russian firefighters on Thursday battled for a second day to put out a blaze caused by a Ukrainian drone strike on an oil depot.
Kyiv hit the depot in the city of Engels, some 500 kilometers from the two countries’ border, in Russia’s southern Saratov region on Wednesday.
Moscow has said that two fire firefighters died trying to extinguish the blaze.
Hours after the drone strike, Russia bombed the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia, killing at least 13 people and wounding more than 100.
“Emergency services are continuing to put out the consequences of the drone attack,” Saratov governor Roman Busargin said on Telegram.
“Specialists say that it will take some time to complete the burnout process,” he added.
Busargin said there was “no threat” to residential buildings.
Russia declared an emergency situation in Engels on Wednesday.
Images on social media showed a giant plume of smoke rising over the city, which has a population of around 220,000.
Ukraine has hit Russian infrastructure – sometimes deep behind the front lines – throughout Moscow’s offensive.
It has said that hitting the depot will cause “serious logistical problems” for Moscow’s air force.
Hours after the drone strike, Russia struck Zaporizhzhia, a southern Ukrainian city close to Moscow-occupied territory, killing 13 people.
Kyiv on Thursday said that 113 people were also wounded in the Zaporizhzhia strike, in an updated toll.
Russian attacks on the southern Kherson region killed two people on Thursday, Ukrainian officials said.
Prosecutors said the attacks killed a 54-year-old man in the village of Beryslav – on the Dnipro river that marks the front line – and a 60-year-old woman in Nezlamne, west of the city of Kherson.
The conflict in Ukraine – nearing its three-year mark – has escalated in recent months, with both sides seeking to gain an advantage ahead of Donald Trump returning to the US presidency.

Topics: Russia-Ukraine Conflict Russia Ukraine

Related

World
A Russian missile attack in southern Ukraine has killed at least 13 civilians, officials say
World
UK to supply $286 million in military equipment to Kyiv

Taiwan demonstrates sea defenses against potential Chinese attack as tensions rise with Beijing

Updated 09 January 2025
AP
Follow

Taiwan demonstrates sea defenses against potential Chinese attack as tensions rise with Beijing

  • Kuang Hua VI fast attack missile boats and Tuo Chiang-class corvettes showcased in waters near Taiwan’s largest port of Kaohsiung
  • Kaohsiung is a major hub for international trade considered key to resupplying Chinese forces should they establish a beachhead on the island
Updated 09 January 2025
AP
KAOHSIUNG, Taiwan: Taiwan on Thursday demonstrated its sea defenses against a potential Chinese attack as tensions rise with Beijing, part of a multitiered strategy to deter an invasion from the mainland.
The island’s navy highlighted its Kuang Hua VI fast attack missile boats and Tuo Chiang-class corvettes in waters near Taiwan’s largest port of Kaohsiung, a major hub for international trade considered key to resupplying Chinese forces should they establish a beachhead on the island.
The Kuang Hua VI boats, with a crew of 19, carry indigenously developed Hsiung Feng II anti-ship missiles and displayed their ability to take to the sea in an emergency to intercept enemy ships about to cross the 44-kilometer limit of Taiwan’s contiguous zone, within which governments are permitted to take defensive action.
China routinely sends ships and planes to challenge Taiwan’s willingness and ability to counter intruders, prompting Taiwan to scramble jets, activate missile systems and dispatch warships. Taiwan demanded on Wednesday that China end its ongoing military activity in nearby waters, which it said is undermining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and disrupting international shipping and trade.
Mountainous Taiwan’s strategy is to counter the much larger Chinese military with a relatively flexible defense that can prevent Chinese troops from crossing the strait. Landing sites are few on Taiwan’s west coast facing China, forcing Beijing to focus on the east coast.
Hsiao Shun-ming, captain of a Tuo Chiang-class corvette, said his ship’s relatively small size still allows it to “deliver a formidable competitive power” against larger Chinese ships. The Tuo Chiang has a catamaran design and boasts high speeds and considerable stealth ability.
Taiwan has in recent years reinvigorated its domestic defense industry, although it still relies heavily on US technology such as upgraded fighter jets, missiles, tanks and detection equipment. US law requires it to consider threats to the island as matters of “grave concern,” and American and allied forces are expected to be a major factor in any conflict.
Thursday’s exercise “demonstrates the effectiveness of asymmetric warfare, and Taiwan’s commitment to defense self-reliance,” said Chen Ming-feng, rear admiral and commander of the navy’s 192 Fleet specializing in mine detection. “We are always ready to respond quickly and can handle any kind of maritime situation.”
China’s authoritarian one-party Communist government has refused almost all communication with Taiwan’s pro-independence governments since 2016, and some in Washington and elsewhere say Beijing is growing closer to taking military action.
China considers Taiwan a part of its territory, to be brought under its control by force if necessary, while most Taiwanese favor their de facto independence and democratic status.

Taliban call India ‘significant regional partner’ after Dubai meeting

Updated 09 January 2025
Reuters
Follow

Taliban call India ‘significant regional partner’ after Dubai meeting

  • Afghan foreign ministry says the two sides discussed enhanced trade through Chabahar Port in Iran
  • No foreign government, including India, has officially recognized the Taliban administration in Kabul
Updated 09 January 2025
Reuters

KABUL: The Taliban’s foreign office said they saw India as a “significant regional and economic partner” after meeting with its most senior foreign ministry official, the highest level talks with Delhi since their takeover of Afghanistan in 2021.

India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met acting Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in Dubai on Wednesday.

Afghanistan’s foreign ministry said in a statement that they had discussed expanding relations with Afghanistan and to boost trade through Chabahar Port in Iran, which India has been developing for goods to bypass the ports of Karachi and Gwadar in its rival Pakistan.

“In line with Afghanistan’s balanced and economy-focused foreign policy, the Islamic Emirate aims to strengthen political and economic ties with India as a significant regional and economic partner,” the statement from Afghanistan’s foreign ministry said late on Wednesday.

India’s foreign ministry said after the Dubai meeting that India was considering engaging in development projects in Afghanistan and looking to boost trade ties.

No foreign government, including India, officially recognizes the Taliban administration.

However, India is one of several countries with a small mission in Kabul to facilitate trade, aid and medical support and has sent humanitarian aid to Afghanistan under the Taliban.

Regional players including China and Russia have signalled they are willing to boost trade and investment in Afghanistan.

The Delhi meeting could ruffle Pakistan, which borders both countries and has fought three wars in the past against India.

Pakistan and Afghanistan also have a strained relationship, with Pakistan saying that several militant attacks that have occurred in its country have been launched from Afghan soil — a charge the Afghan Taliban denies.

Earlier this week India’s foreign office told journalists they condemned airstrikes conducted late last year by Pakistan on Afghan soil.

Topics: Taliban India Dubai meeting

Latest updates

UN migration agency appeals for $73 million in aid for Syria
Kremlin declines to accept responsibility for plane crash
US, Arab mediators make some progress in Gaza peace talks, no deal yet, sources say
Lebanon’s parliament fails to elect new president; Aoun falls 15 votes short of required 86 in first round
Pope Francis, ramping up criticism of Israel, calls situation in Gaza ‘shameful’

Search form

Print Edition
Read pdf version Subscribe now
© 2025 SAUDI RESEARCH & PUBLISHING COMPANY, All Rights Reserved And subject to Terms of Use Agreement.