UN Security Council: Theresa May defends Brexit vote at General Assembly as Trump chairs meeting
US President repeatedly attacks Iran for second time in two days
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Donald Trump has chairing a United Nations Security Council meeting - a first for the US president.
It means that most of the attention that would have been focused on events at the General Assembly - where UK Prime Minister Theresa May would later defend the Brexit vote - was instead focused on the UN's most powerful body, where the US currently holds the rotating presidency.
While the meeting of the council addressed the issue of nonproliferation of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons, Mr Trump himself used the platform to attack Iran and accuse China - but not Russia - of meddling in 2018 midterm elections.
On Tuesday, during an unabashedly "America First" speech, Mr Trump said Iranian leaders "sow chaos, death and destruction" and "spread mayhem across the Middle East and far beyond." His national security adviser, John Bolton, also warned that there would be "hell to pay" if Tehran crossed the US, its allies or their partners.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani responded by accusing the Mr Trump administration of violating the rules of international law and "state obligations" by withdrawing from the 2015 nuclear deal that Iran signed with the US and five other major powers.
Iran parliament reacts after Trump's withdrawal from nuclear deal
Show all 10Mr Rouhani did not to attend the Security Council meeting that. The council is populated by five permanent members -- the US, China, Russia, Britain and France -- and 10 other member states, who occupy a council seat for two-year terms. Iran is not among them.
Please allow a moment for the liveblog to load.
Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the UN Security Council meeting in New York, chaired by President Donald Trump.
It will be the first time Mr Trump has chaired a meeting of the Security Council. So nobody knows what to expect.
The council is populated by five permanent members — the US, China, Russia, Britain and France — and 10 other member states from a number of regions, who occupy a council seat for two-year terms.
The official topic of the meeting is nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
Mr Trump is here and has opened the meeting with a bash of his gravel.
He also mentions Russia, which he did not do in his speech yesterday. A notable absentee.
Mr Trump has moved onto to chemical weapon use in Syria - but is quick to mention Iran.
And we are straight onto Iran. First he rails against the nuclear deal with Tehran.
He then moves on to hit out at China for meddling in the 2018 midterm elections. he does not mention Russia.
"They don't want me to win," he says
He calls out Iran and and says that more sanctions will be coming.
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