World leaders converge on New York for UN General Assembly

Nearly 130 world leaders are traveling to New York this week for the 81st UN General Assembly, with the main sessions expected to peak between September 22 and 24. The event marks the last such gathering for French President Emmanuel Macron and outgoing UN Secretary-General António Guterres in their current roles. British Prime Minister Andy Burnham will have his first in-person meeting with US President Donald Trump, while Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is expected to attend despite the ongoing Iran war, though Palestinians and Mahmoud Abbas are excluded. Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez will also meet Trump for the first time. Trump's schedule includes a critical meeting with Gulf Cooperation Council leaders today, potentially joined by Iraq, Jordan, and Egypt, to discuss Iran strategy. The week's most significant talks, however, will occur Thursday in Washington, where Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping will discuss AI, trade, critical minerals, and supply chains.