UNITED NATIONS (AP) – President Donald Trump goes before the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday to try to square his “America First” approach to foreign policy with his administration’s hope for a multi-national response to Iran’s escalating aggression.
While Trump wants allies to join the U.S. in further isolating Iran, he also seems to be holding to his go-it-alone strategy of using economic sanctions to pressure Tehran to give up its nuclear program and stop attacks that are rattling the Middle East.
On Monday, the president praised British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s call for a new deal to replace the 2015 Iran nuclear pact from which Trump walked away.
The president also said he appreciated the efforts of French President Emmanuel Macron, who has been trying to get Trump back in the deal and has suggested the American president meet with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani while both are in New York this week.
But at the same time, Trump declared: “We’re not looking for any mediators.” He said that if Iran wants to talk, “they know who to call.”