Trump to Tout Greenland and Gaza Deals, Defend Iran War at UN
Donald Trump will address the UN General Assembly on Tuesday to promote a new Greenland security deal, his Gaza peace efforts and expansion of the Abraham Accords, while defending the war with Iran and its wider economic fallout.
In a Nutshell:
- Trump will promote a new security agreement with Denmark and Greenland that expands US military access to the Arctic island.
- His Gaza agenda includes efforts to end the war and bring more Arab countries into the Abraham Accords, which established diplomatic relations between Israel and several Arab states.
- He will defend the Iran war as fighting around the Strait of Hormuz continues to disrupt global oil and gas supplies.
Context
Greenland has been one of Trump's most contentious foreign policy issues since he returned to office. He has repeatedly demanded US control of the Danish territory and refused to rule out using force. The new agreement instead expands US military access while leaving Greenland under Danish sovereignty. The Abraham Accords were a major diplomatic initiative of Trump's first term, establishing and normalising relations between Israel and the UAE, Bahrain and later Morocco. His current effort seeks to expand the number of Arab countries in the Accords such as Saudi Arabia with Riyadh tying normalisation with Israel to a pathway towards Palestinian statehood. All of this is happening against the backdrop of the Iran war, which is currently in its eighth month. Fighting has closed the Strait of Hormuz, through which about one fifth of global oil consumption normally passes, disrupting energy shipments and pushing up prices.
Why It Matters
Trump is going before the UN with agreements that cover three different areas of US influence: military access in the Arctic, diplomatic expansion around Israel and direct involvement in the Middle East war. So, aside from his usual defense of the Iran campaign, he will be presenting negotiations and new security arrangements alongside military action that are shaping the same foreign policy record. For Bangladesh, the Iran conflict is more relevant than other deals due to the energy and fuel crisis that the country has been dealing with as a result of the Hormuz Strait closure. Disruption around Hormuz has pushed up LNG prices in Bangladesh and all over Asia, increasing the cost of securing gas supplies for countries that rely heavily on imported LNG
What We Think
Trump's diplomatic record at the UN needs to be read through what each deal actually changes. The Greenland agreement gives Washington greater military access without giving Trump the territorial control he previously demanded as it will remain under Danish sovereignty. The Abraham Accords are part of usual US foreign policy with Israel as it focuses on expanding Israel's diplomatic ties with other Arab countries in the Middle East. Palestinian statehood is simply the stated excuse to continue normalising Israel and strengthening its status in the Middle East through diplomatic relations. Iran presents the clearest limit to this record. Trump can point to negotiations and agreements elsewhere, but the war continues to disrupt a major global energy route and impose costs on countries that have no role in the conflict.