UN General Assembly 2026: US-Israeli war on Iran to take centre stage

What Happened

The 2026 UN General Assembly in New York convenes this week amid what Middle East Eye describes as a US-Israeli war on Iran. US President Donald Trump is scheduled to address the assembly early Tuesday, returning a year after he claimed US strikes had dealt a decisive blow to Iran's nuclear programme. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is due to address the General Assembly on Wednesday, accompanied by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, giving Tehran a platform to challenge Washington's account. The article reports that Iran is restricting shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, threatening global energy supply routes, while Yemen's Houthis have rapidly expanded control along the Red Sea coast and captured territory overlooking the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. US ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz told reporters Friday that Trump will focus on his administration's handling of international conflicts and on ensuring Iran never has a nuclear weapon. Gaza and Sudan also feature: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to address the assembly Thursday despite an arrest warrant over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas cannot attend in person for a second consecutive year after the US extended its ban on Palestinian officials; the General Assembly voted Thursday to allow him to participate by video. Sudanese army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan is also scheduled to address the assembly Thursday, with the Sudan war since April 2023 having displaced more than 14 million people.

Key Actors

Why It Matters

The assembly becomes a direct diplomatic contest over the US-Israeli campaign against Iran at a moment when Iranian restrictions in the Strait of Hormuz and Houthi gains near Bab el-Mandeb threaten two maritime chokepoints critical to global energy and trade. Additionally, the agenda includes Gaza, where Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will address the assembly despite an outstanding arrest warrant over alleged war crimes, and Sudan, where fighting since April 2023 has displaced more than 14 million people.

Watch For

Monitor Trump's speech on Tuesday, Pezeshkian's response on Wednesday, and Netanyahu's scheduled address on Thursday. Watch for the planned high-level meetings on a two-state solution for Israel-Palestine and on Sudan on the sidelines, the General Assembly's video participation arrangement for Mahmoud Abbas, and the reported Trump-Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi meeting. Xi Jinping's expected bilateral talks with Trump in Washington on Thursday may also shape the diplomatic context.