9/4/2018

IRAN/MIDDLE EAST/NIKKI HALEY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/UN: “U.S. President Donald Trump will chair a U.N. Security Council meeting on Iran this month to spotlight its ‘violations of international law’ during the annual gathering of world leaders in New York, U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley said on Tuesday [9-4-18]. The United States, which holds the council presidency for September, has unsuccessfully pushed the Security Council to call out Iran. Haley has regularly attacked Iran, accusing it of meddling in the wars in Syria and Yemen. Haley told reporters Trump was chairing the meeting ‘to address Iran’s violations of international law and the general instability Iran sows throughout the entire Middle East region.’ Diplomats said Iran could request to speak at the Sept. 26 meeting, the high-level week of the U.N. General Assembly. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is expected to address the assembly on Sept. 25. The Iranian U.N. mission did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Haley said the United States would not object to Rouhani speaking. Russia’s Deputy U.N. Ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy said the Iran meeting should focus on the implementation of a 2015 resolution on Iran.”

Michelle Nichols, “Trump to chair U.N. Security Council meeting on Iran,” Reuters, September 4, 2018 11:15 am