US announces Security Council summit on Iran chaired by President Trump
The United States representative to the United Nations announced on Tuesday that President Trump intends to hold a meeting of the heads of state of the Security Council this month to discuss the Islamic Republic of Iran, its missile and nuclear programs, as well as Iran's regional behavior.
Nikki Haley said in a press conference held to outline the Security Council's work plans for September that the US President has called for a high-level meeting of the Council to address Iran's violations of international law and Tehran's destabilizing actions in the Middle East.
He did not mention the exact date of the special meeting at the press conference held at the United Nations headquarters in New York City, but it will be held simultaneously with the annual session of the UN General Assembly and on the sidelines of the two-day summit of the Assembly's leaders, which begins on September 25.
The press conference of the US mission to the United Nations was held a day after the United States assumed the rotating presidency of the Security Council for a month. The presidency of the UN's most important body is handed over every month to one of its fifteen permanent and non-permanent members.
In response to a reporter who asked whether the Iranian president would also attend the meeting, Ms. Haley said that according to the rules and principles of the United Nations and the Security Council, Iran has the right to attend, and the participation of that country's president depends on Tehran's decision.
The US representative to the UN, in response to the question of whether the United States would agree to the Iranian president's participation in the meeting, said that we agree.
In response to the question of whether the US government has a specific strategy against Iran and whether this strategy includes regime change, Ms. Haley said that the White House's strategy is simple, namely to highlight Iran's wrongdoings and its violation of Security Council resolutions.
He added that President Trump's administration also wants to amplify the voice of the Iranian people and give them the opportunity to make their voices heard by the world, while also telling them that America stands with them, as they seek a better life and are being suppressed by the government using every means possible.
President Trump, who was initially opposed to the 2015 nuclear deal between world powers and Iran, withdrew from the agreement on May 8 of this year, arguing that Tehran was violating the spirit of the deal by continuing its missile program and malign actions in the Middle East.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced the formation of the "Iran Action Group" in late August, saying the purpose of creating this group is to coordinate and implement US policy towards Iran in the period following the US withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal, with the aim of changing the Islamic Republic's behavior.
Source: Voice of America
