Trump accused of trying to 'topple' Iran leader in UN war of words

US President Donald Trump called for Iran's international isolation in a combative and unashamedly boastful speech at the United Nations General Assembly Tuesday, prompting accusations from his Iranian counterpart that he was trying to topple his government.

In his second appearance before the General Assembly, Trump also lashed out at other adversaries such as Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro and took aim at international institutions such as the UN-backed world court.

He even provoked derisive laughter from fellow leaders at the normally staid assembly by trumpeting the performance of his administration whose "America First" foreign policy continues to cause alarm.

But Trump also had warm words for the main target of his rhetoric at his UN debut last year as he praised the "courage" of North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un.

Hours before Iran's President Hassan Rouhani spoke from the same rostrum, Trump denounced the clerical regime in Tehran for sowing "chaos, death and destruction" as he defended his decision to ditch an internationally-brokered nuclear deal.

"We cannot allow the world's leading sponsor of terrorism to possess the planet's most dangerous weapons," Trump said, alluding to Tehran's support for Islamic militant movements such as Hamas and Hezbollah.

"We ask all nations to isolate Iran's regime as long as its aggression continues."
"For dialogue to take place, there is no need for a photo opportunity. The two sides can listen to each other right here in this assembly."
Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdogan, another ally whose relations with Trump have cooled, did not mention the US president by name but there was little doubt who he had in mind when he said it was "very easy to create chaos but difficult to re-establish order."