'Shameless and ignorant': World stunned after Trump's fiery speech

President Donald Trump has delivered a fiery maiden speech at the United Nations General Assembly, which included threatening North Korea and urging nations to stop Iran's nuclear program.

US President Donald Trump addresses the 72nd Annual UN General Assembly in New York on September 19, 2017.

US President Donald Trump addresses the 72nd Annual UN General Assembly in New York on September 19, 2017. Source: Getty

The UK says military force against North Korea may remain an option following a fiery speech from Donald Trump at the UN.

Here are some reactions from world leaders and US politicians to his speech.

The office of the British Prime Minister Theresa May said: "As President Trump said, the international community must continue to work together to confront rogue regimes and that is exactly what the Prime Minister will be doing in discussions with world leaders in New York this week.

"No one wants to see military action, but as we progress with efforts to secure a peaceful diplomatic resolution it would be wrong to rule anything out.
French President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday he wanted to play a mediation role between Iran and the US to ensure that Tehran was involved in finding a political solution in Syria.

"If we don't resolve the Syrian problem with Iran around the table, then we will not have an efficient response because Iran today is among the powers that have an influence on the ground," Macron told a news conference.

He told the UN that renouncing the Iran deal would be a "grave error".

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif was quoted as saying: "Trump's shameless and ignorant remarks, in which he ignored Iran's fight against terrorism, displays his lack of knowledge and unawareness."

He also took to Twitter with a withering riposte.

"Trump's ignorant hate speech belongs in medieval times - not the 21st Century UN - unworthy of a reply. Fake empathy for Iranians fools no one," he posted.

Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom told the BBC it was "the wrong speech, at the wrong time, to the wrong audience".

Senior Democrats Chuck Schumer said: "If I were giving the president advice, I would have said avoid using 'Rocket Man'. We know the leader of North Korea is erratic, to put it kindly. That kind of language I think is risky."

And according to US network NBC, North Korea representatives left the room.
Colin Kahl, the former deputy assistant to president Obama, said Trump's speech was hypocritical.

"Striking how Trump's UN speech embraced sovereignty and non-interference right before calling for regime change in Iran, Cuba, and Venezuela," he posted on Twitter.
However others believed that President Trump told it as it is.

Former US Ambassador to the UN John Bolton said he believed Trump called out the "unacceptable behavior" of other member states.

Mr Bolton also welcomed Trump's approach regarding North Korea.
Mitt Romney, the former governor of Masachusetts, posted to Twitter: "President Trump gave a strong and needed challenge to UN members to live up to its charter and to confront global challenges."

While US former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich said Trump "set a new standard".

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Published 20 September 2017 5:36am
Updated 20 September 2017 11:49am
Source: AAP


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