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UNITED NATIONS — U.S. President Donald Trump defended his war against Iran before the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, claiming that “while others have talked, I have acted.”
“While others have promised strength, I have used it to make America the most powerful country in the world,” Trump said in his speech.
The theme of the General Assembly this year is “Restoring trust, managing transformation: A United Nations that delivers for all.”
It’s taking place as the world grapples with oil supply shocks and rising prices driven by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, and under the shadow of Trump’s constant attacks on multilateralism.
Prime Minister Mark Carney — who has emerged in recent weeks as a key global defender of multilateralism and alliances in the face of Trump’s repeated attacks — arrived Tuesday morning for the opening of the General Assembly, where he was quickly greeted by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
Carney, who is not addressing the assembly, also walked across the floor to speak with Crown Prince of the State of Kuwait Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Sabah before formal speeches began.
Trump has demanded massive reforms at the UN and has held back funding for the institution, putting it in turmoil. The Trump administration has withdrawn from multiple UN organizations, including the World Health Organization and the cultural agency UNESCO.
Carney, meanwhile, has been making the case for continued global collaboration to address crises like climate change, financial instability and war.
For nearly a year now, Carney has been travelling the globe calling on middle powers to band together in defence of what he has called “shared interests, and occasionally shared values, rather than shared institutions.”
Carney has sought to build a bridge between the European Union and a Pacific Rim trading bloc called CPTPP so middle powers can better resist economic coercion by the United States and China.
The prime minister’s efforts have caught the attention of the Trump administration, especially since trade negotiations ended acrimoniously last month.
After European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen last week opened the door to Canada becoming what she called the first “associate member” of the European Union, Trump said it could be a “hostile act.”
Carney could face further pressure from the president on Tuesday when the prime minister co-hosts with France and the United Kingdom an event on the two-state solution, one year after the three countries recognized an independent Palestinian state at the General Assembly. More than 150 countries followed the move to recognize Palestinian statehood.
At the General Assembly last year, Trump said recognizing a Palestinian state would amount to rewarding Hamas for the “horrible atrocities” of the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel. Trump also claimed the move could hinder Canada’s ability to make a trade deal with the United States.
Canada and the U.S. now seem further than ever from reaching that deal. Bilateral relations have continued to deteriorate as the trade war has escalated.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 22, 2026.
Kelly Geraldine Malone, The Canadian Press
