US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Wednesday he was optimistic his planned visit to Pyongyang this weekend would bring progress towards a second summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and in building a path to North Korea's denuclearization.

Pompeo declined comment on negative signals from North Korea, that have included demands for a lifting of sanctions and complaints about Washington's apparent reluctance to agree to a declaration to end the 1950-53 Korean War without major concessions.

"I`m very happy to be going back to get another chance to continue to advance the commitment that Chairman Kim and President Trump made back in Singapore in the second week of June," Pompeo told a news briefing at the State Department.

"I`m optimistic that we`ll come away from that with better understandings, deeper progress and a plan forward, not only for the summit between the two leaders, but for us to continue the efforts to build out a pathway for denuclearization."

At an unprecedented June 12 meeting with Trump, Kim pledged to work toward denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, but his actions have fallen short of Washington`s demands for a complete inventory of its nuclear weapons and irreversible steps to give up an arsenal that potentially threatens the United States.

Trump has nevertheless appeared keen on a second summit with Kim, even though recent North Korean statements have suggested the two sides are far from narrowing their differences.

North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho told the United Nations last week that continued sanctions were deepening its mistrust in the United States and there was no way Pyongyang would give up its nuclear weapons unilaterally under such circumstances.

Wednesday`s Washington Post quoted South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha as saying in an interview that to break the stalemate, Washington should hold off on its long-standing demand for an inventory of North Korea`s weapons programs and agree to an end-of-war declaration in return for a North Korean pledge to dismantle its Yongbyon nuclear site.

A commentary on North Korea`s official KCNA news agency this week, however, said the declaration should have been resolved half a century ago and it could never be a bargaining chip to persuade it to denuclearize.

Pompeo brushed aside suggestions of differences between himself and Trump over a timeline for North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons.

Pompeo said the day of the Trump-Kim summit he was hopeful that there would be major North Korean disarmament by the end of Trump`s term in January 2021.&nbsp;

In a statement last month, he said the United States aimed for North Korean denuclearization by that date, but a week later Trump said he did not have a time frame.

At Wednesday`s briefing, Pompeo said the statements were "entirely consistent with each other."&nbsp;

"We want it fast, but we`re not going to play the time game," he said, adding that his reference last month to 2021 was repeating a comment made by the North and South Korean leaders at a summit last month in Pyongyang.

"President Trump’s comments are exactly right. This is a long-term problem; this has been outstanding for decades. We’ve made more progress than has been made in an awfully long time and, importantly, we have done so in conditions which continue to give us the opportunity to achieve the final goal," Pompeo said.

Pompeo stressed that in the meantime international sanctions would have to remain in place on North Korea. He said there was unanimous support for this at last week's UN General Assembly, even if Russia and China "had some ideas about how we might begin to think about a time when it would be appropriate to reduce them."

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Wednesday he was optimistic his planned visit to Pyongyang this weekend would bring progress towards a second summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and in building a path to North Korea's denuclearization.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Wednesday he was optimistic his planned visit to Pyongyang this weekend would bring progress towards a second summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and in building a path to North Korea's denuclearization. Pompeo declined comment on negative signals from North Korea, that have included demands for a lifting of sanctions and complaints about Washington's apparent reluctance to agree to a declaration to end the 1950-53 Korean War without major concessions. "I`m very happy to be going back to get another chance to continue to advance the commitment that Chairman Kim and President Trump made back in Singapore in the second week of June," Pompeo told a news briefing at the State Department. "I`m optimistic that we`ll come away from that with better understandings, deeper progress and a plan forward, not only for the summit between the two leaders, but for us to continue the efforts to build out a pathway for denuclearization." At an unprecedented June 12 meeting with Trump, Kim pledged to work toward denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, but his actions have fallen short of Washington`s demands for a complete inventory of its nuclear weapons and irreversible steps to give up an arsenal that potentially threatens the United States. Trump has nevertheless appeared keen on a second summit with Kim, even though recent North Korean statements have suggested the two sides are far from narrowing their differences. North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho told the United Nations last week that continued sanctions were deepening its mistrust in the United States and there was no way Pyongyang would give up its nuclear weapons unilaterally under such circumstances. Wednesday`s Washington Post quoted South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha as saying in an interview that to break the stalemate, Washington should hold off on its long-standing demand for an inventory of North Korea`s weapons programs and agree to an end-of-war declaration in return for a North Korean pledge to dismantle its Yongbyon nuclear site. A commentary on North Korea`s official KCNA news agency this week, however, said the declaration should have been resolved half a century ago and it could never be a bargaining chip to persuade it to denuclearize. Pompeo brushed aside suggestions of differences between himself and Trump over a timeline for North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons. Pompeo said the day of the Trump-Kim summit he was hopeful that there would be major North Korean disarmament by the end of Trump`s term in January 2021. In a statement last month, he said the United States aimed for North Korean denuclearization by that date, but a week later Trump said he did not have a time frame. At Wednesday`s briefing, Pompeo said the statements were "entirely consistent with each other." "We want it fast, but we`re not going to play the time game," he said, adding that his reference last month to 2021 was repeating a comment made by the North and South Korean leaders at a summit last month in Pyongyang. "President Trump’s comments are exactly right. This is a long-term problem; this has been outstanding for decades. We’ve made more progress than has been made in an awfully long time and, importantly, we have done so in conditions which continue to give us the opportunity to achieve the final goal," Pompeo said. Pompeo stressed that in the meantime international sanctions would have to remain in place on North Korea. He said there was unanimous support for this at last week's UN General Assembly, even if Russia and China "had some ideas about how we might begin to think about a time when it would be appropriate to reduce them."

Pompeo optimistic progress will be made on North Korea trip

Days after signing a new legislation to speed up the development of advanced reactors, President Donald Trump has roped in a top Indian American nuclear expert for a key administrative position in the department of energy.

Trump has announced his intent to nominate Rita Baranwal to be an assistant secretary of energy (nuclear energy) at the Department of Energy.

Baranwal currently serves as the Director of the Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear (GAIN)initiative.

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As Assistant Secretary of Energy, if confirmed by the Senate, Baranwal will be heading the powerful Office of Nuclear Energy. She would also be responsible for the department's nuclear technology research and the development and management of the department's nuclear technology infrastructure.

Previously, she served as Director of Technology Development &amp; Application at Westinghouse and was a manager in Materials Technology at Bechtel Bettis, where she led research and development in nuclear fuel materials for US naval reactors.

Baranwal earned her BA in Materials Science and Engineering from MIT and PhD from the University of Michigan. She serves on advisory boards for MIT's Materials Research Laboratory and UC Berkeley's Nuclear Engineering Department.

Last week, Trump had signed into law the Nuclear Energy Innovation Capabilities Act which will speed up the development of advanced reactors in the United States. The law eliminates some of the financial and technological barriers standing in the way of nuclear innovation.

In a recent presentation, Baranwal said that US nuclear industry is equipped to lead the world in deployment of innovative nuclear technologies to supply urgently needed abundant clean energy both domestically and globally.

"The unconventional and energetic spirit that created the commercial nuclear energy industry will again transform our country. New, smaller and more efficient reactors are being developed to combat climate change and meet the energy demand," Baranwal said in a blogpost last week.&nbsp;

Days after signing a new legislation to speed up the development of advanced reactors, President Donald Trump has roped in a top Indian American nuclear expert for a key administrative position in the department of energy.

Days after signing a new legislation to speed up the development of advanced reactors, President Donald Trump has roped in a top Indian American nuclear expert for a key administrative position in the department of energy. Trump has announced his intent to nominate Rita Baranwal to be an assistant secretary of energy (nuclear energy) at the Department of Energy. Baranwal currently serves as the Director of the Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear (GAIN)initiative. × As Assistant Secretary of Energy, if confirmed by the Senate, Baranwal will be heading the powerful Office of Nuclear Energy. She would also be responsible for the department's nuclear technology research and the development and management of the department's nuclear technology infrastructure. Previously, she served as Director of Technology Development & Application at Westinghouse and was a manager in Materials Technology at Bechtel Bettis, where she led research and development in nuclear fuel materials for US naval reactors. Baranwal earned her BA in Materials Science and Engineering from MIT and PhD from the University of Michigan. She serves on advisory boards for MIT's Materials Research Laboratory and UC Berkeley's Nuclear Engineering Department. Last week, Trump had signed into law the Nuclear Energy Innovation Capabilities Act which will speed up the development of advanced reactors in the United States. The law eliminates some of the financial and technological barriers standing in the way of nuclear innovation. In a recent presentation, Baranwal said that US nuclear industry is equipped to lead the world in deployment of innovative nuclear technologies to supply urgently needed abundant clean energy both domestically and globally. "The unconventional and energetic spirit that created the commercial nuclear energy industry will again transform our country. New, smaller and more efficient reactors are being developed to combat climate change and meet the energy demand," Baranwal said in a blogpost last week.

Trump picks Indian American woman Rita Baranwal to head nuclear energy division

US President Donald Trump said he and North Korea's Kim Jong Un have fallen "in love" –- their bromance fuelled by "beautiful letters" he received from the leader of the nuclear-armed state.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/opinion-trump---kim-summit-is-a-gamble-beyond-optics-144380">Opinion: Trump-Kim Summit was a gamble beyond optics</a>

Trump on Saturday elevated his recent praise of Kim to new heights, at a West Virginia rally in support of local candidates for his Republican Party.

"And then we fell in love -- OK? No really. He wrote me beautiful letters and they're great letters. We fell in love," Trump told the crowd.

On Monday at the United Nations General Assembly Trump lauded the North Korean strongman -- who is accused by the UN and others of widespread human rights abuses -- as "terrific", one year after Trump eviscerated Kim from the same platform.

Trump followed those comments by saying Wednesday he had received an "extraordinary letter" from Kim, and sounded optimistic about prospects for a second summit between the two leaders "fairly quickly."

Trump used his debut address at the UN General Assembly 12 months ago to threaten to "totally destroy" North Korea and belittle its leader as "rocket man," prompting Kim to respond by calling the president a "mentally deranged US dotard."

Those were among a series of playground-type slurs the leaders of the two nuclear-armed states hurled at each other, setting the world on edge.

Last August, after US media reported Pyongyang had successfully miniaturized a nuclear warhead to fit into a missile, Trump warned Pyongyang not to threaten the United States or it would face "fire and fury like the world has never seen."

Kim had earlier compared comments by Trump to the bark of a "rabid dog," and Trump derided Kim as a "sick puppy" -- before the apparent outbreak of puppy love.

Trump met Kim in Singapore in June for the first-ever summit between the two countries that have never signed a peace treaty.

The summit led to a warming of ties and a halt in Pyongyang's missile launches, but there has been little concrete progress since.

North Korea's foreign minister Ri Yong Ho on Saturday told the UN there was "no way" that his country would disarm first as long as the US to push for tough enforcement of sanctions against Pyongyang.

US President Donald Trump said he and North Korea's Kim Jong Un have fallen "in love" –- their bromance fuelled by "beautiful letters" he received from the leader of the nuclear-armed state.

US President Donald Trump said he and North Korea's Kim Jong Un have fallen "in love" –- their bromance fuelled by "beautiful letters" he received from the leader of the nuclear-armed state. Opinion: Trump-Kim Summit was a gamble beyond optics Trump on Saturday elevated his recent praise of Kim to new heights, at a West Virginia rally in support of local candidates for his Republican Party. "And then we fell in love -- OK? No really. He wrote me beautiful letters and they're great letters. We fell in love," Trump told the crowd. On Monday at the United Nations General Assembly Trump lauded the North Korean strongman -- who is accused by the UN and others of widespread human rights abuses -- as "terrific", one year after Trump eviscerated Kim from the same platform. Trump followed those comments by saying Wednesday he had received an "extraordinary letter" from Kim, and sounded optimistic about prospects for a second summit between the two leaders "fairly quickly." Trump used his debut address at the UN General Assembly 12 months ago to threaten to "totally destroy" North Korea and belittle its leader as "rocket man," prompting Kim to respond by calling the president a "mentally deranged US dotard." Those were among a series of playground-type slurs the leaders of the two nuclear-armed states hurled at each other, setting the world on edge. Last August, after US media reported Pyongyang had successfully miniaturized a nuclear warhead to fit into a missile, Trump warned Pyongyang not to threaten the United States or it would face "fire and fury like the world has never seen." Kim had earlier compared comments by Trump to the bark of a "rabid dog," and Trump derided Kim as a "sick puppy" -- before the apparent outbreak of puppy love. Trump met Kim in Singapore in June for the first-ever summit between the two countries that have never signed a peace treaty. The summit led to a warming of ties and a halt in Pyongyang's missile launches, but there has been little concrete progress since. North Korea's foreign minister Ri Yong Ho on Saturday told the UN there was "no way" that his country would disarm first as long as the US to push for tough enforcement of sanctions against Pyongyang.

US President Donald Trump says he and Kim Jong-Un are 'in love'

The Trump administration has reiterated its support for India's bid for a permanent seat on a reformed UN Security Council, a senior US official said, emphasizing that the two "global partners" share a commitment to work together on global challenges like denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula.

Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of South and Central Asia Region Alice Wells said US Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs David Hale met Indian Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale at the beginning of the week of the 73rd Session of the UN General Assembly to build on the momentum of the first 2+2 meeting between the US and India in New Delhi as well as to reaffirm the strategic convergence that Washington sees in the bilateral ties.

"We really are global partners and the meeting (between Hale and Gokhale) reaffirmed our shared commitment to working together on international challenges - from a denuclearised Korean Peninsula to a peaceful and prosperous Afghanistan," Wells told reporters Friday during a briefing on US priorities in the South and Central Asia Region.

The American diplomat said the US reiterates its support for India's role in a reformed UN Security Council.

The New York meeting was a continuation of the discussion at the 2+2 meeting.

"It's a conversation that really covers the map in terms of how we can work together in Afghanistan, what we are doing to promote free and open Indo-Pacific and also in particular, how we are both very supportive of the democratic developments that we see transpiring in the Maldives," she said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called Maldives' President-elect Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and congratulated him.

The US too congratulated the people of Maldives, saying they had peacefully raised their voices to determine the future of their country.

During Modi's visit to Washington in June last year, Trump supported India's bid for a permanent seat in a reformed UNSC and in other multilateral institutions such as the Nuclear Suppliers Group.

"As global non-proliferation partners, the United States expressed strong support for India's early membership in the Nuclear Suppliers Group, the Wassenaar Arrangement, and the Australia Group," a joint statement issued after the meeting between Modi and Trump had said.

The Trump administration has reiterated its support for India's bid for a permanent seat on a reformed UN Security Council, a senior US official said, emphasizing that the two "global partners" share a commitment to work together on global challenges like denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula.

The Trump administration has reiterated its support for India's bid for a permanent seat on a reformed UN Security Council, a senior US official said, emphasizing that the two "global partners" share a commitment to work together on global challenges like denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula. Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of South and Central Asia Region Alice Wells said US Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs David Hale met Indian Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale at the beginning of the week of the 73rd Session of the UN General Assembly to build on the momentum of the first 2+2 meeting between the US and India in New Delhi as well as to reaffirm the strategic convergence that Washington sees in the bilateral ties. "We really are global partners and the meeting (between Hale and Gokhale) reaffirmed our shared commitment to working together on international challenges - from a denuclearised Korean Peninsula to a peaceful and prosperous Afghanistan," Wells told reporters Friday during a briefing on US priorities in the South and Central Asia Region. The American diplomat said the US reiterates its support for India's role in a reformed UN Security Council. The New York meeting was a continuation of the discussion at the 2+2 meeting. "It's a conversation that really covers the map in terms of how we can work together in Afghanistan, what we are doing to promote free and open Indo-Pacific and also in particular, how we are both very supportive of the democratic developments that we see transpiring in the Maldives," she said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called Maldives' President-elect Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and congratulated him. The US too congratulated the people of Maldives, saying they had peacefully raised their voices to determine the future of their country. During Modi's visit to Washington in June last year, Trump supported India's bid for a permanent seat in a reformed UNSC and in other multilateral institutions such as the Nuclear Suppliers Group. "As global non-proliferation partners, the United States expressed strong support for India's early membership in the Nuclear Suppliers Group, the Wassenaar Arrangement, and the Australia Group," a joint statement issued after the meeting between Modi and Trump had said.

Trump administration reiterates support for India's role in reformed UNSC

US President Donald Trump looks forward to visiting India to reflect on the "amazingly positive" trajectory in India-US relationship, a top Trump Administration official said Friday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has invited Trump to be the chief guest at the Republic Day celebrations next year.

"President Trump does look forward to visiting India, again to reflect on what has been an amazingly positive trajectory in our relationship," Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of South and Central Asia Region Alice Wells told PTI in New York&nbsp;in response to a question on when would the US president be able to make a visit to India.&nbsp;

Wells added that she does not have further details as to when the president's trip to India will take place.&nbsp;

President Trump had visited India in 2014 as a businessman. &nbsp;

"I love India, give my regards to my friend PM (Narendra) Modi," Trump had told External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Monday as they exchanged pleasantries during a high-level event on counter-narcotics in New York.

India and the US held their first 2+2 Dialogue in Delhi early this month during which External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman held talks with Defence Secretary James Mattis and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

Modi has met Trump at least twice in the past year&nbsp;the first during a bilateral visit to Washington and then once on the margins of a summit in Manila.&nbsp;

US President Donald Trump looks forward to visiting India to reflect on the "amazingly positive" trajectory in India-US relationship, a top Trump Administration official said Friday.

US President Donald Trump looks forward to visiting India to reflect on the "amazingly positive" trajectory in India-US relationship, a top Trump Administration official said Friday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has invited Trump to be the chief guest at the Republic Day celebrations next year. "President Trump does look forward to visiting India, again to reflect on what has been an amazingly positive trajectory in our relationship," Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of South and Central Asia Region Alice Wells told PTI in New York in response to a question on when would the US president be able to make a visit to India. Wells added that she does not have further details as to when the president's trip to India will take place. President Trump had visited India in 2014 as a businessman. "I love India, give my regards to my friend PM (Narendra) Modi," Trump had told External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Monday as they exchanged pleasantries during a high-level event on counter-narcotics in New York. India and the US held their first 2+2 Dialogue in Delhi early this month during which External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman held talks with Defence Secretary James Mattis and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Modi has met Trump at least twice in the past year the first during a bilateral visit to Washington and then once on the margins of a summit in Manila.

Trump looks forward to visit India: US official

US President Donald Trump took his campaign to isolate Iran to the UN Security Council Wednesday, accusing Tehran of spreading chaos at a meeting that laid bare divisions between Washington and key allies.

As chairman of a session of the top UN body, Trump denounced the "horrible, one-sided" nuclear deal with Iran that he ditched in May, to the dismay of European allies.

A gavel-wielding Trump vowed that re-imposed sanctions will be "in full force" and urged world powers to work with the United States to "ensure the Iranian regime changes its behavior and never acquires a nuclear bomb."

Addressing the council afer Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron hit back, declaring that concerns about Iran cannot be reduced to "a policy of sanctions and containment" that was in place for years before the landmark deal.

"We need to build together a long-term strategy to manage the crisis that cannot be reduced to a policy of sanctions and containment of Iran," said Macron.

The United States has moved to reimpose sanctions that had been lifted under the 2015 deal to curb Iran's nuclear program and has vowed to punish foreign firms that do business with Iran.

On North Korea, Trump called for sanctions to be strictly enforced against Pyongyang -- a message directed at Russia and China which are pushing for an easing of punitive measures to reward North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Without naming countries, the US president noted that "some nations are already violating UN sanctions" including illegal ship-to-ship transfers of oil and said compliance was "very, very important."

Trump also accused China of working against his Republican Party in upcoming elections, saying Beijing did "not want me or us to win" because of his hard line on trade.&nbsp;

His toughest words were directed at Iran, however.

"In the years since the deal was signed, Iran's aggression only increased," Trump said.

"The regime used new funds from the deal to support terrorism, build nuclear-capable missiles and foment chaos."

Trump assailed Russia and Iran for backing President Bashar al-Assad in his brutal war in Syria, saying: "The Syrian regime's butchery is enabled by Russia and Iran."

US at odds with Europeans over Iran

Wednesday's meeting highlighted a rift between the United States and its European allies over the Iran nuclear deal.

On Monday, the five remaining parties to the agreement -- Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia -- defiantly announced that they would set up a special payment system to continue trade and business ties with Iran.

Heading into the council meeting, Sweden's Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom said European Union governments will "stand up" for the nuclear deal and suggested the US approach would fail.

"We have tried sanctions over the years, decades. We tried isolation and it only gave the most conservative forces in Iran more power," she told reporters.&nbsp;

During his address to the General Assembly on Tuesday, Trump assailed Iran's leaders, accusing them of sowing "chaos, death and destruction" and calling on world governments to isolate Tehran.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani shot back in his speech, denouncing leaders who have "xenophobic tendencies resembling a Nazi disposition" and slamming the planned council meeting as a "preposterous and abnormal act."

Trump's national security advisor John Bolton warned Tehran of "hell to pay" if it threatens the US or its allies.

"Let my message today be clear: we are watching, and we will come after you."

It was only the third time in UN history that a US president chaired a Security Council meeting. Barack Obama presided over two meetings in 2009 and 2014.

The United States had initially said the meeting chaired by Trump would focus on Iran, but later broadened the agenda under the theme of nuclear non-proliferation and weapons of mass destruction.

Iran has not requested to speak at the council meeting, diplomats confirmed Tuesday although Rouhani will hold a press conference soon after it is due to end.

Trump is one of around 130 world leaders attending the General Assembly in New York which formally began on Tuesday.

Speakers scheduled to address the second day of the assembly include the leaders of war-torn Yemen and Afghanistan while May will make her last speech at the world's foremost diplomatic stage before Britain leaves the European Union.

US President Donald Trump took his campaign to isolate Iran to the UN Security Council Wednesday, accusing Tehran of spreading chaos at a meeting that laid bare divisions between Washington and key allies.

US President Donald Trump took his campaign to isolate Iran to the UN Security Council Wednesday, accusing Tehran of spreading chaos at a meeting that laid bare divisions between Washington and key allies. As chairman of a session of the top UN body, Trump denounced the "horrible, one-sided" nuclear deal with Iran that he ditched in May, to the dismay of European allies. A gavel-wielding Trump vowed that re-imposed sanctions will be "in full force" and urged world powers to work with the United States to "ensure the Iranian regime changes its behavior and never acquires a nuclear bomb." Addressing the council afer Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron hit back, declaring that concerns about Iran cannot be reduced to "a policy of sanctions and containment" that was in place for years before the landmark deal. "We need to build together a long-term strategy to manage the crisis that cannot be reduced to a policy of sanctions and containment of Iran," said Macron. The United States has moved to reimpose sanctions that had been lifted under the 2015 deal to curb Iran's nuclear program and has vowed to punish foreign firms that do business with Iran. On North Korea, Trump called for sanctions to be strictly enforced against Pyongyang -- a message directed at Russia and China which are pushing for an easing of punitive measures to reward North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Without naming countries, the US president noted that "some nations are already violating UN sanctions" including illegal ship-to-ship transfers of oil and said compliance was "very, very important." Trump also accused China of working against his Republican Party in upcoming elections, saying Beijing did "not want me or us to win" because of his hard line on trade. His toughest words were directed at Iran, however. "In the years since the deal was signed, Iran's aggression only increased," Trump said. "The regime used new funds from the deal to support terrorism, build nuclear-capable missiles and foment chaos." Trump assailed Russia and Iran for backing President Bashar al-Assad in his brutal war in Syria, saying: "The Syrian regime's butchery is enabled by Russia and Iran." US at odds with Europeans over Iran Wednesday's meeting highlighted a rift between the United States and its European allies over the Iran nuclear deal. On Monday, the five remaining parties to the agreement -- Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia -- defiantly announced that they would set up a special payment system to continue trade and business ties with Iran. Heading into the council meeting, Sweden's Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom said European Union governments will "stand up" for the nuclear deal and suggested the US approach would fail. "We have tried sanctions over the years, decades. We tried isolation and it only gave the most conservative forces in Iran more power," she told reporters. During his address to the General Assembly on Tuesday, Trump assailed Iran's leaders, accusing them of sowing "chaos, death and destruction" and calling on world governments to isolate Tehran. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani shot back in his speech, denouncing leaders who have "xenophobic tendencies resembling a Nazi disposition" and slamming the planned council meeting as a "preposterous and abnormal act." Trump's national security advisor John Bolton warned Tehran of "hell to pay" if it threatens the US or its allies. "Let my message today be clear: we are watching, and we will come after you." It was only the third time in UN history that a US president chaired a Security Council meeting. Barack Obama presided over two meetings in 2009 and 2014. The United States had initially said the meeting chaired by Trump would focus on Iran, but later broadened the agenda under the theme of nuclear non-proliferation and weapons of mass destruction. Iran has not requested to speak at the council meeting, diplomats confirmed Tuesday although Rouhani will hold a press conference soon after it is due to end. Trump is one of around 130 world leaders attending the General Assembly in New York which formally began on Tuesday. Speakers scheduled to address the second day of the assembly include the leaders of war-torn Yemen and Afghanistan while May will make her last speech at the world's foremost diplomatic stage before Britain leaves the European Union.

Trump takes anti-Iran campaign to UN Security Council

US President Donald Trump accused China of seeking to meddle in the November 6 US congressional elections on Wednesday, saying Beijing did not want his Republican Party to do well because of his stance on trade.

"China has been attempting to interfere in our upcoming 2018 election, coming up in November. Against my administration," Trump told a UN Security Council meeting whose ostensible subject was on nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction and Iran.

Trump did not provide any evidence for the allegation. China did not immediately respond to the remarks by Trump, who was chairing the Council meeting.

"They do not want me or us to win because I am the first president ever to challenge China on trade and we are winning on trade, we are winning at every level. We don't want them to meddle or interfere in our upcoming election," Trump said.

Trump himself is not up for re-election until 2020 but November's voting will decide whether his Republican party can keep control of the US House of Representatives and the Senate.

US intelligence agency conclusions that Russia interfered in the 2016 US presidential vote have hung over Trump's presidency. In July at a summit in Helsinki, Trump accepted Russian President Vladimir Putin's denials and the US president describes investigations as a political witch hunt.

US President Donald Trump accused China of seeking to meddle in the November 6 US congressional elections on Wednesday, saying Beijing did not want his Republican Party to do well because of his stance on trade.

US President Donald Trump accused China of seeking to meddle in the November 6 US congressional elections on Wednesday, saying Beijing did not want his Republican Party to do well because of his stance on trade. "China has been attempting to interfere in our upcoming 2018 election, coming up in November. Against my administration," Trump told a UN Security Council meeting whose ostensible subject was on nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction and Iran. Trump did not provide any evidence for the allegation. China did not immediately respond to the remarks by Trump, who was chairing the Council meeting. "They do not want me or us to win because I am the first president ever to challenge China on trade and we are winning on trade, we are winning at every level. We don't want them to meddle or interfere in our upcoming election," Trump said. Trump himself is not up for re-election until 2020 but November's voting will decide whether his Republican party can keep control of the US House of Representatives and the Senate. US intelligence agency conclusions that Russia interfered in the 2016 US presidential vote have hung over Trump's presidency. In July at a summit in Helsinki, Trump accepted Russian President Vladimir Putin's denials and the US president describes investigations as a political witch hunt.

US President Donald Trump says China trying to meddle in US congressional elections

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