US President Donald Trump yesterday spoke at the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) at UN headquarters in New York, a crucial event that had high expectations for the address that was going to be made amid the ongoing West Asia war.
Trump asserted his strong opposition to the Islamic Republic of Iran, where he highlighted the atrocities the Islamic country has caused during the course of the years. He also affirmed that as long as he stays in power, Iran will not possess any nuclear weapons.
The open threat by Trump has received mixed reactions from the general public in Iran.
While speaking to reporters, a Tehran resident said, “I disagree; you (the US) came and killed people. You acted completely contrary to all diplomatic norms; you killed the Leader, you killed children, you killed women. What’s the point of negotiating or meeting? You can’t sit down and talk with the killer of a nation.”
“The UN General Assembly is not a place for threats; it is a place for establishing peace. This is completely wrong. Threatening to attack? Well, that’s America’s approach; it’s not unique to this president (Donald Trump). All of their presidents have either killed people or launched attacks. It violates diplomatic norms; it violates international law; everything they do,” said another citizen
On the contrary, some reacted, “If they meet, that would be better, in my view, and they will reach a better outcome. I hope this meeting takes place and that we can achieve a good result.”
“Well, we are 100% in favour of peace. It would be better if conditions were restored to a state of calm and people could return to their daily activities and normal routines. I think everyone shares the view that things should return to how they were and that calm should be restored,” stated another Tehran resident.
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner communicated through mediators on the sidelines of the UNGA in New York, the first such contacts since an interim ceasefire agreement collapsed in July.
Since diplomacy broke off in July, the sides have repeatedly exchanged fire, although Trump has held back from a full-blown resumption of strikes after receiving advice from his military commanders that munitions were running low.
The war, launched by Trump in February alongside Israel as ‘Operation Epic Fury,’ has lasted nearly seven months, killing thousands of people, disrupting global energy supplies, and spreading to other countries in the region, first to Lebanon and more recently to Yemen.