Trump takes aim at Iran, China at UN Security Council

President Donald Trump on Wednesday accused Iran of spreading chaos and China of meddling in US elections at a UN Security Council meeting that laid bare divisions between the United States and other world powers.

Presiding for the first time a meeting of the United Nations' 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 took a swipe at China, accusing Beijing of working against his Republican Party in upcoming midterm elections as payback for their growing trade war, a charge China's foreign minister said was "unwarranted."
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 after Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron hit back, declaring that concerns about Iran cannot be tackled with "a policy of sanctions and containment." Also defending the deal that was endorsed in a Security Council resolution, British Prime Minister Teresa May said it "remains the best means of preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon."
Trump argued that since the deal was signed in 2015, "Iran's aggression only increased" and that funds released from the lifting of sanctions had been used "to support terrorism, build nuclear capable missiles and foment chaos."
Turning to Syria, Trump assailed Russia and Iran for backing President Bashar la-Assad in his brutal war in Syria, saying: "The Syrian regime's butchery is enabled by Russia and Iran."