World leaders flock to U.N. General Assembly

In his first address to the General Assembly, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian called out Israel for its operations in Gaza and Lebanon.

"Israel’s state terrorism in Lebanon cannot go unanswered," he said this afternoon. "Responsibility for all consequences will be borne by those governments who have thwarted all global efforts to end this horrific catastrophe."

He also pressed for new dialogue with the West about nuclear issues.

The Security Council will meet at 6 tomorrow night to discuss the escalation in fighting in Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah, said Slovenia, president of the 15-member council for September.

Iranian American protesters made their voices heard outside the U.N. about the country's current regime.

More than 500 people packed Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza for protests throughout the day before Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian addressed the General Assembly this afternoon.

Majid Sadeghpour, a director with the Organization of Iranian American Communities, called the Iranian regime "the head of the snake of international terrorism" and said he wants a "wholesale regime change."

"Masoud Pezeshkian is a crony of the supreme leader," Sadeghpour said, referring to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. "Just like his predecessors, his role is to prosecute the orders of the supreme leader, so our message to him is that your time in Iran is limited."

Goli Rastegar, an Iranian nurse and activist, told NBC News that she secretly treated people who were injured during recent protests in Iran. She said she believes she would be imprisoned if she returned to the country.

"We want human rights. We want democracy," Rastegar said, adding that the current regime oppresses people.

"We are scared of them," she said.

Shirin Nariman, who said she was a political prisoner in Iran from 1981 to 1983, said that “more than anything, people want to be done with this regime. They just want to see this regime toppled, and when this regime is changed, everybody can really grow and enjoy life. They can enjoy freedom and democracy in Iran.”

In his first interview with American media, Iran's vice president for strategic affairs, Mohammad Javad Zarif, said the country has the right to respond to the Israeli attack that killed Hamas official Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran "in a way in the time and manner" of its choosing.

"We were asked by the international community to exercise restraint in order to bring about an end to the war in Gaza," Zarif said. "Unfortunately, that promise has never materialized."

Asked about U.S. concerns about Iran's nuclear capabilities, Zarif said the Americans "only have themselves to blame."

“If the United States is concerned with the amount of uranium that Iran possesses, it can remedy this by going back and stopping this addiction to sanctions that has only hurt ordinary Iranian citizens," he said.

Pressed about whether Iran will negotiate directly with the U.S. to try to revive a nuclear deal known as the JCPOA, he said, “It wasn’t Iran that left the nuclear deal."

"If the United States is prepared to return to the JCPOA, it should do so, and then there will be room for a lot of new opportunities to talk about things of mutual interest.”

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called on the world to address Iran’s and North Korea’s growing cooperation with Russia in the war on Ukraine, warning Security Council members this afternoon that the impact of the alliance would have far-reaching implications.

“The more Russia relies on their support, the more Iran and North Korea extract in return,” he warned. “And the more Putin gives to Pyongyang and Tehran, the more it exacerbates threats to peace and security, not just in Europe, but in the Indo Pacific, in the Middle East, all around the globe.”

Blinken also called out China, a permanent member of the Security Council, as “the top provider of machine tools, microelectronics and other items that Russia is using to rebuild, to restock, to ramp up its war machine and sustain its brutal aggression.”

He also warned against peace proposals “which fail to distinguish between the aggressor and the aggressed and call on all sides to de-escalate,” saying such proposals “would reward Putin’s aggression, allow him to rest, re-arm, re-invade Ukraine, as he has done time and again.”

At a meeting of the Security Council on Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for all nations — including China, Brazil and India — to join his second peace summit.

He stressed, “This war can’t be calmed by talks — action is needed.”

“Putin has broken so many international norms and rules that he won’t stop on his own,” Zelenskyy told the Security Council. “Russia can only be forced into peace, and that is exactly what’s needed, forcing Russia into peace as the sole aggressor in this war, the sole violator of the U.N. Charter.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pushed back his trip to New York and his address at the General Assembly amid his country's deepening offensive in Lebanon.

Netanyahu is now expected to address the General Assembly on Friday, an official from the Israeli Mission to the U.N. told NBC News. He was originally scheduled to speak Thursday.

Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon killed nearly 500 people and injured over 1,600 others yesterday, marking the highest death toll in the exchange between Israel and Hezbollah this year and the deadliest day of conflict with Israel since the 34-day war in 2006.

Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai said today that women should be in leadership roles everywhere.

"It’s not just about the title. It’s not just about that one position. It’s about the engagement of women," she said in an interview on MSNBC's "Andrea Mitchell Reports."

Asked about women in the U.S. who feel their rights have been stripped after the fall of Roe v. Wade, she said, “When I think about the activism of women and girls around the world, I think it’s a collective work for equality. And when we achieve progress, we should never take it for granted."

She continued: "We should keep fighting to sustain it, as well, because you never know, and your rights can be taken back. If you are in the United States, it could happen to you. If you are in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nigeria or in Gaza, any other part of the world, it could happen to you, too."

The leaders of Jordan and Turkey used the General Assembly to condemn the Israeli military’s actions in Gaza and criticize world leaders for not stopping the bloodshed.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip ErdoÄŸan questioned the response by the Security Council's five permanent members since the Oct. 7 terrorist attack on Israel and Israel's retaliation in Gaza.

"International justice cannot be left in the will of five privileged member states of the Security Council, and the most dramatic example to that is the war, the massacre, that has been going on in Gaza for the last 350 days," said ErdoÄŸan, a frequent critic of Israel and longtime supporter of Palestinian rights.

His angry denunciations contrasted with comments by Biden, who earlier condemned Hamas’ actions on Oct. 7 and said hostages held in Gaza were “going through hell.” Biden then said that “innocent civilians in Gaza are also going through hell” and criticized violence by Jewish settlers against Palestinian civilians in the West Bank. 

Erdoğan added: "What are you waiting for to prevent the genocide in Gaza, to put a stop to this cruelty, this barbarianism? What are you waiting for to stop Netanyahu and his network, who’s endangering the lives of the Palestinian people, was a part of a massive murder network? And what are you still waiting for to stop them putting in danger their own people and the entire region for political gain?"

Speaking directly after ErdoÄŸan, Jordan's King Abdullah II said Israel's "unprecedented scale of terror unleashed on Gaza since that day is beyond any justification."

"In the absence of global accountability, repeated horrors are normalized, threatening to create a future where anything is permitted anywhere in the world," he said. "Now is the time to ensure the protection of the Palestinian people. It is a moral duty of this international community to establish a protection mechanism for them across the occupied territories."

Abdullah said it would ensure the safety of both Palestinians and Israelis from extremists trying to take the region to the "brink of an all-out war."

He said: "That includes those who continue to propagate the idea of Jordan as an alternative homeland. So let me be very, very clear: That will never happen. We will never accept the forced displacement of Palestinians, which is a war crime."

He called on the war to end and for hostages to be returned home from Gaza. He also called on all countries to join Jordan in enforcing an international humanitarian gateway to deliver food, clean water, medicine and other supplies.

Guterres and Netanyahu have not spoken in almost a year, Guterres spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told NBC News today — an indication of just how much the relationship between Israel and the U.N. has deteriorated.

Guterres called Netanyahu after Hamas' Oct. 7 terrorist attacks to express his solidarity, and the call was never returned, Dujarric said.

Asked this month whether there was any plan for Guterres to meet with the Netanyahu during his visit to New York, Guterres made it clear that was up to Netanyahu.

“I’m ready to receive all the heads of state and governments that will come to New York, if they want that to happen,” Guterres told reporters at a news conference last week. “So that question is to be asked to Prime Minister Netanyahu.”

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said today that Iran does not seek a wider war in the Middle East and that such a conflict would have no winners.

“We don’t want war. ... We want to live in peace,” Pezeshkian told reporters. “We don’t wish to be the cause of instability in the region.”

Pezeshkian called for dialogue to resolve the volatile situation in the Middle East and blamed Israel for stoking tensions and instigating conflict, citing assassinations in Tehran and elsewhere that he said Israel had carried out.

“We know more than anyone else that if a larger war were to erupt in the Middle East, it will not benefit anyone throughout the world. It is Israel that seeks to create this wider conflict,” he said.

Read the full story here.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said the values of the United Nations’ system and the Western world are dying in Gaza as the conflict continues there, calling for an “alliance of humanity” to stop Israel.

In a speech at the General Assembly, Erdoğan also said Turkey stands with the people of Lebanon as Israel targets Hezbollah fighters with airstrikes there. 

Biden acknowledged that artificial intelligence could bring scientific progress that could change people’s lives for the better but warned the technology also brings “profound risks,” such as disinformation and bioweapons.

Biden noted the first-ever U.N. General Assembly resolution about AI aimed at developing global rules on the technology and the declaration of responsible use of AI, joined by 60 countries in the chamber.

"Nothing is certain about how AI will evolve or how it will be deployed," he said. "My fellow leaders, with humility, I offer two questions,” he said. “First, how do we as an international community govern AI as countries and companies race to uncertain frontiers?”

He continued: “Second, we ensure that AI supports, rather than undermines, the core principles that human life has value and all humans deserve dignity. We must make certain that the awesome capabilities of AI will be used uplift and empower everyday people, not to give dictators more powerful shackles on the human spirit. Years ahead, there may be no greater test of our leadership than how we do with AI.”

Biden said “the world must not flinch from the horrors of” Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel as he called for the return of hostages and a cease-fire deal in the war on Gaza.

“I’ve met with the families of those hostages. I’ve grieved with them. They’re going through hell,” Biden said in his address to the General Assembly this morning.

“Innocent civilians in Gaza are also going through hell, thousands and thousands killed, including aid workers. Too many families dislocated, crowding in the tents, facing a dire humanitarian situation,” he said.

“They didn’t ask for this war that Hamas started,” Biden added, noting that he had put forward a cease-fire and hostage deal endorsed by the Security Council along with Qatar and Egypt.

Biden called on fellow leaders to reject cynicism despite huge challenges facing the world.

Telling the General Assembly that nations must “stand firm on the principles that unite us” when facing crises, including the war in Ukraine and global climate change.

“The forces holding us together are greater than those pulling us apart,” he said. 

In his address to the General Assembly this morning, Biden sought to reaffirm U.S. support for Ukraine amid Russia's ongoing war against the country.

"Will we sustain our support to help Ukraine win this war and preserve its freedom or walk away, let aggression be renewed and a nation be destroyed?" Biden said. "I know my answer. We cannot grow weary. We cannot look away, and we will not let up on our support for Ukraine."

Philémon Yang, president of the General Assembly, has begun the debate part of the event as world leaders speak on wide-ranging issues. 

Yang was elected in June and began his term as president two weeks ago. 

During his speech, he said that the climate crisis is “no longer a distant threat” and that “millions remain trapped in poverty” because of circumstances outside of their control.

Yang also echoed Guterres’ calls for an immediate cease-fire between Israel and Hamas while warning of the threat of nuclear war.

World leaders descending on New York this week are seeking an audience with the two candidates battling to replace Biden, while Kamala Harris and Donald Trump will also have the chance to show off their diplomatic chops ahead of the election.

So far, only Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has managed to secure meetings with both Harris and Trump as he appeals for help repelling Russian invaders.

Meanwhile, Harris and Biden held talks with the president of the United Arab Emirates in Washington yesterday, while Trump said Sunday that he had met with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.

Trump had also said he was set to meet with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi this week, but Modi flew back to India last night after having steered clear of both presidential candidates, meeting only with Biden and leaders from Japan and Australia.

Watch live coverage of the 2024 United Nations General Assembly from New York as nations gather to address major issues facing the world.

Oscar-winning actress Meryl Streep said animals have greater rights than women and girls in Afghanistan as she called on the international community to intervene. 

The Taliban — which seized control of the country after the United States withdrew from Afghanistan in 2021 — announced a new set of draconian laws in August that ban women from speaking in public or showing their faces outside their homes. 

Most women and girls have also been barred from attending high school and university.

“Today in Kabul a female cat has more freedoms than a woman. A cat may go sit on her front stoop and feel the sun on her face. She may chase a squirrel into the park,” Streep said at an event on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly. “A squirrel has more rights than a girl in Afghanistan today, because the public parks have been closed to women and girls.”

There's a packed schedule in today's session as the assembly opens in New York.

First up, Secretary-General of the U.N., Antonio Guterres, will give his opening State of the World speech, before Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is scheduled to be the first world leader to take to the stage today.

President Biden will then address the assembly for the final time as commander in chief, and we will also hear from Turkish president Recep Tayyip ErdoÄŸan and Iran's Masoud Pezeshkian.

The leaders of Switzerland, Colombia, Qatar, Sierra Leone and Angola are also scheduled for this morning.

See the full list of speakers here

Ukrainian President Vlodymyr Zelenskyy says war with Russia “closer to the end” as he prepares to present a “victory plan” on a trip to the U.S.

Zelenskyy is in New York for the U.N. General Assembly today and has called on allies to strengthen his nation’s army. Zelenskyy has repeatedly appealed to the U.S. and the United Kingdom to drop restrictions that prohibit Ukraine from using weapons they provide to strike targets deep inside Russia.

“We are closer to the end of the war. We just have to be very strong, very strong,” Zelenskyy told ABC News.

“The plan of victory is strengthening of Ukraine,” he continued. “That’s why we’re asking our friends, our allies, to strengthen us. It’s very important.”

The United Nations has adopted a new pact after nine months of negotiations that is aimed at revitalizing the organization by reasserting the primacy of international law and tackling the issues of the 21st century.

That includes new commitments to combatting challenges ranging from climate change and artificial intelligence, to inequality and conflict.

It was unclear if the pact would be adopted as Russia proposed an amendment that would have watered down the agreement and argued that "nobody" was happy with it. But some 143 countries, including all 54 African nations, voted not to take on Russia's amendment, which garnered support from just six nations.

The 193-member world body eventually approved the document on Sunday, but Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin said that Moscow would “distance itself from the consensus on this document.”

President Joe Biden will address the United Nations General Assembly for the final time as commander in chief Tuesday morning amid the spiraling conflict in the Middle East, Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine and growing global concerns about China’s influence.

His speech comes against the backdrop of the presidential race on its final leg before Election Day, knowing that his successor — Vice President Kamala Harris or former President Donald Trump — will face the same issues in the White House and may deal with them very differently.

They are also Biden’s first remarks before the General Assembly since Hamas’ attack on Israel in October and the conflict that has ensued in Gaza, killing thousands of civilians. He’ll speak to the leaders of other nations as hope for a cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas has dimmed.

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters last week that Biden will “reaffirm America’s leadership on the world stage” in New York and will “rally global action to tackle the world’s most pressing challenges.”

Read the full story here.

Japan’s foreign minister demanded a clearer explanation of the circumstances behind the stabbing death of a Japanese boy in China in a meeting in New York yesterday with her Chinese counterpart.

Yoko Kamikawa asked that Beijing strongly punish the alleged perpetrator, who was apprehended at the scene, and take stronger steps to ensure the safety of Japanese nationals in China after the attack, which took place Wednesday as the 10-year-old was on his way to a Japanese school in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen. Beijing should also crack down on anti-Japanese comments online, she told Wang Yi, China’s top diplomat.

Wang said Japan should view the situation “calmly and rationally” and not politicize or escalate what he called an “isolated incident,” the motive for which is unclear. He said China would continue to ensure the safety of all foreign nationals in China, according to a readout of the meeting from the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

The meeting also came after Beijing announced last week that China and Japan had ended their dispute over the release of treated radioactive wastewater from the ruined Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. The dispute had included a Chinese ban on the importation of Japanese seafood, though it is unclear when those imports might resume.

World leaders have gathered today for the United Nations General Assembly in New York amid ongoing and escalating conflict in the Middle East, while wars rage in Ukraine and Sudan.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has previewed his opening “State of the World” speech, saying “our world is heading off the rails — and we need tough decisions to get back on track.”

President Joe Biden will address the United Nations General Assembly for the final time as commander in chief this morning, but for the first time since Hamas’ attack on Israel in October and the conflict that has ensued in Gaza, killing thousands of civilians.

Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan are also set to speak today.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are both scheduled to speak on Thursday. 

See the full schedule of speakers here.