UPDATES THROUGHOUT
By Michael Hernandez
WASHINGTON (AA) - President Donald Trump raised the alarm about what he described as the world's deteriorating security situation in his first speech before the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday.
“Major portions of the world are in conflict, and some, in fact, are going to hell,” Trump said.
But in warning against unfolding calamity, Trump threatened to wipe North Korea off the map, and insinuated the U.S. may soon exit an internationally-brokered agreement with Iran.
"The United States has great strength and patience, but if it is forced to defend itself or its allies, we will have no choice but to totally destroy North Korea," Trump said.
He said North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, whom he again referred to as "Rocket Man", is "on a suicide mission".
He also hinted at a possible U.S. pull out from the international accord that curtailed Iran's nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief, calling the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) an "embarrassment to the United States".
A unilateral U.S. exit from the agreement would likely have undesirable consequences for Washington, isolating it from its negotiating partners that include close European allies, and potentially forcing the U.S. to sanction them if they continue to keep with the accord's parameters.
Trump has said he will make his decision in October when the U.S. would have to again recertify that Iran is in compliance with the JCPOA's requirement.
In urging the global community to take up a "great reawakening" Trump called on individual members states to defend their sovereignty and act in their own self-interest.
The appeal encourages individual member states to adopt a line similar to Trump's nationalistic "America First" campaign slogan.