A NUMBER OF world leaders have strongly criticised US president Donald Trump over his bombastic, divisive rhetoric delivered during his first speech to the United Nations yesterday.

During his maiden speech to the UN, Trump took aim at countries who have been on his radar since he took up the presidency in January.

Most notably, he warned that the US was ready to “totally destroy” North Korea and he labelled Iran as a “murderous regime”.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif called out Trump for “ignorant hate speech”.

“Trump’s ignorant hate speech belongs in medieval times – not the 21st century UN – unworthy of a reply,” Zarif said on Twitter.

Fake empathy for Iranians fools no one.

In his speech to the General Assembly Trump branded Iran as a “corrupt dictatorship” and “rogue state” and said the “longest-suffering victims of Iran’s leaders are, in fact, its own people”.

He said the nuclear deal that Zarif negotiated in close cooperation with former US secretary of state John Kerry was “an embarrassment to the United States”.

Trump appeared to pave the way towards tearing up the nuclear deal signed in 2015 between six world powers and Iran.

Following Trump’s words, French president Emmanuel Macron defended the nuclear deal: ”Renouncing it would be a grave error,” he said.

Venezuela

The US president also took aim at South American nation Venezuela, calling it a corrupt “socialist dictatorship” and said that the US would be prepared to take action against it.

Venezuela’s Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza labelled Trump’s comments as “threats”.

While the president of Bolivia – the country’s ally – said on Twitter:

I am not surprised that a multi-millionaire like Trump attacks socialism. Our struggle will always be ideological and pragmatic.

Trump’s comment were welcomed in some quarters, however.

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed his comments on the deal with Iran, saying it should be amended or scrapped altogether.

With reporting from © – AFP 2017

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