U.S President Donald Trump on Tuesday threatened to “totally destroy North Korea” and undo the Iranian nuclear deal while pursuing terrorist organisation and nation states that support them, in his first address to the United Nations.
The President’s speech, in line with his America First agenda, was reiteration of his stated positions, but the combative tone of its delivery signaled impending U.S moves that could have destabilising impact on Asia.
Mr. Trump also touched upon his recently announced Afghanistan policy, calling for driving out terrorists “out of our nations.” “It is time to expose and hold responsible those countries who support and finance terror groups like al Qaeda, Hezbollah, the Taliban and others that slaughter innocent people,” the President said, but he did not name Pakistan in this context, as he did while unveiling the policy last month.
The President’s ire was largely focussed on North Korea and Iran, while he thanked Russia and China for supporting the efforts to deal with the threats from Pyongyang. “…if U.S is forced to defend itself or its allies, we will have no choice but to totally destroy North Korea. Rocket Man is on a suicide mission for himself and for his regime,” he said referring to the North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un by a nickname he has coined. “The United States is ready, willing and able, but hopefully this will not be necessary,” the President said, adding that the avoiding a war was the responsibility of the U.N. “It is time for North Korea to realise that the denuclearisation is its only acceptable future,” the President said, reiterating the American position that Pyongyang has rejected.
The President indicated that he was on the course to undo the nuclear deal with Iran concluded by his predecessor Barack Obama. Calling Iran a “rogue nation” Mr. Trump said deal is “an embarrassment” to the United States. “I don’t think you’ve heard the last of it, believe me,” Mr. Trump said. “It is time for the entire world to join us in demanding that Iran’s government end its pursuit of death and destruction,” he said. Inspectors of the Internal Atomic Energy Agency have found no evidence of Iran violating the terms of the deal but the Trump administration has been threatening action against Tehran.
America’s key alley Israel is lobbying hard with the Trump administration to trash the deal. The parties that negotiated the deal including Russia, China, France and Germany are not in favor of pushing Iran to the brink on the issue. “The Iranian government masks a corrupt dictatorship behind the false guise of a democracy. It has turned a wealthy country with a rich history and culture into an economically depleted rogue state whose chief exports are violence, bloodshed, and chaos. The longest-suffering victims of Iran's leaders are, in fact, its own people,” Mr. Trump said, adding that its wealth, “which rightly belongs to Iran's people, also goes to shore up Bashar al-Assad's dictatorship, fuel Yemen's civil war, and undermine peace throughout the entire Middle East.”
Mr. Trump said his policy was showing signs of success already, in the fight against terrorism.” …I have also totally changed the rules of engagement in our fight against the Taliban and other terrorist groups. In Syria and Iraq, we have made big gains toward lasting defeat of ISIS. In fact, our country has achieved more against ISIS in the last eight months than it has in many, many years combined,” said the President.
