UNGA: Trump and world leaders discuss global conflicts

Donald Trump said he had to decide whether he would make a deal with Iran or "annihilate the Islamic Republic" in his speech at the UN General Assembly. Follow live.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres officially opened the world body's 81st General Assembly.

Trump was among the first speakers to take the stage and said he had a "big decision" to make on Iran, to either make a deal or "annihilate" the country.

Brazilian and Turkish presidents criticized the UN and said it was failing at its mission of world peace.

French President Emmanuel Macron called for peace in Ukraine and condemned violence in the occupied West Bank and said the world needed to do more to help Palestinians.

Gathering of world leaders takes place against a backdrop of global conflicts, environmental crisis and massive technical disruption.

Japan's conservative Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said it her country's "mission" to lead efforts towards a "world without nuclear weapons." She said this is because Japan is the "the only country to have ever suffered atomic bombings during war." Takaichi urged a stronger Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty regime. She also warned that North Korea's nuclear and missile programs along with other activities are a "serious threat to international peace and security." In regards to technology, Takaichi said Japan intends to host an AI safety summit in the future. The Japanese prime minister also called for a reform of the UN Security Council by expanding both the number of permanent and non-permanent members.

North Korea's Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs Kim Son Gyong has departed from Pyongyang to attend the UN General Assembly debate in New York City, North Korean state media outlet KCNA reported. It's unclear whether Kim will meet with officials from the Trump administration.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly debate. In a post on X, Zelenskyy characterized the meeting with Trump as "positive and productive." "Both the US and Ukraine want to see this senseless Russian war ended before winter. We discussed potential de-escalatory steps that can open up the way to diplomacy," Zelenskyy said. Zelenskyy said he also discussed a winter package of air defense for Ukraine with Trump, among other issues. In comments to journalists after the 40-minute meeting, Zelenskyy said the two leaders discussed an energy ceasefire. Zelenskyy said "we are ready for any kind of format of energy ceasefire" if Russia agrees to "not attack our energy system."

French President Emmanuel Macron said there was a need for nations to develop their own artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities so as not to be beholden to the US and China. "I don't want anyone to become the vassal of one of the great powers. Rather, we must come together to build an open-source frontier model, a cutting-edge model," he told the UN General Assembly.

Macron was addressing the General Assembly for the last time. "But what is our credibility worth if we remain inactive on Gaza?" he asked. "Some claim that peace has been achieved, but this has not opened up humanitarian deliveries. The scenes, the spectacle, it is shameful. Shame on all of us!" Macron said that what was needed was respect for the "legitimate rights" of the Palestinian people. Regarding Ukraine, he proposed a "double moratorium," saying that both Ukraine and Russia should commit to stop strikes on each others's energy infrastructure and on grain shipments in the Black Sea.

A few hours after his speech at the assembly warning he was prepared to "annihilate" Iran if necessary, US President Donald Trump told reporters that American and Iranian officials had met on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. "The had a very good meeting, a very productive meeting," Trump told reporters, saying it had lasted roughly three hours.

Finland's President Alexander Stubb told the audience that the world faced a "choice between cooperation and conflict." He said that "currently, however, we appear to be going the other way — more towards a non-cooperative and multi-polar world order."

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda urged the assembly not to forget the conflict closest to his home. "Ladies and gentleman, the one conflict that poses the greatest threat to the world order is Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine," Nauseda said.