73rd sitting of United Nations General Assembly opens on Tuesday
Today, the UN General Assembly will enter its 73rd session in New York City, with high-level dialogues scheduled for next week. The General Assembly is the UN’s main deliberative branch in which all member states have equal representation.
US President Trump is expected to condemn Iran for its alleged violations of international sanctions and proliferation of nuclear weapons. Iran’s biggest Security Council ally Russia has reportedly expressed opposition towards Trump’s inclination to single out Iran during the Assembly’s limited time. Given US allies’ objection to the Trump administration’s insistence on withdrawing from the nuclear deal, it is highly unlikely the Assembly will bring about concrete diplomatic agreements vis-à-vis Iran.
As the leaders of these countries are congregated altogether, it is also likely that ongoing conflicts will swell throughout the duration of the Assembly. Among these could be the anticipated assault on Syria’s northwestern province of Idlib, where Russia and Turkey recently agreed to create a demilitarised zone to promote a ceasefire by October. Further advancements by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s forces in the next weeks will continue to challenge Iran’s ability to ease its geopolitical tensions.
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