Relationship between Rodríguez and Trump undoubtedly one of controlpublished at 19:47 BST 22 September

19:47 BST 22 September

Ione Wells
North America Correspondent

Image source, Reuters

Also on the sidelines at the United Nations, President Trump is expected to hold his first in-person meeting with Venezuela's acting leader Delcy Rodríguez.

“Colonialism", “surrender", "a puppet government”: it’s described in multiple ways, but the relationship between Rodríguez and Trump is undoubtedly one of control.

The fate of Rodríguez’s predecessor Nicolás Maduro looms over her, nowhere more so than in New York where he is locked up in prison across the river from the United Nations.

That she could face a similar fate means she has given Trump’s administration exactly what it wants.

The US now collects revenue from Venezuela’s oil revenues and controls what it can be spent on in Venezuela, which includes teacher salaries and medical supplies.

The US has also taken a large stake in a private firm called North American Blue Energy Partners, owned by a Venezuelan businessman who faces multiple corruption allegations that he denies.

The joint venture has been given 100-year rights over seventeen oil fields, containing about 65 billion barrels of oil.

The US also has the right to purchase 20% of its production, and first refusal of the rest.

But Rodríguez has something to gain from this one-sided relationship.

The more Trump endorses her, the more assets she hands over, the more indispensable she becomes to the Trump administration, and the less likely it is the US will rush to push for elections in US-backed talks between the government and opposition parties.

That, for unelected Delcy Rodríguez, means holding onto power for now.

Ghoncheh Habibiazad
Senior reporter, BBC Persian

Image source, EPA/Shutterstock

As we just mentioned, Iranian and US leaders met for three-hours earlier today, according to President Trump.

It's unclear which Iranian officials attended, but Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is currently on his way to New York.

US President Donald Trump has said that he would "probably be open" to meeting Pezeshkian, although the meeting has not been confirmed by either side, and is likely to spark a backlash among some inside Iran.

Before departing, Pezeshkian told reporters at Tehran's Mehrabad Airport that the UN gathering provides an opportunity for him to "firmly defend" Iran's position.

Based on reports by Iranian outlets, Pezeshkian is expected to address the UN General Assembly tomorrow.

The previous time that Pezeshkian addressed the UN was after the 12-day Iran-Israel war in June.

His trip to the US has been welcomed by some inside Iran, although it has already received some backlash among some hardliners, who have been opposed to any deal between Iran and the US.

We can now bring you some more details from Trump's bilateral meeting with Zelensky, where he was asked about a meeting between Iranian and American leaders:

Speaking to a reporter, Trump said there was a three-hour conversation between US and Iranian leaders earlier today, which included special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.

"It was a very good meeting, very productive meeting," Trump said, without identifying which Iranian leaders were in the room.

Witkoff, who was part of that meeting, added that he feels "very good right now" but didn't say much more.

"We'll see how it turns out," Trump said.

Image source, Reuters

Sitting beside Zelensky, Trump was asked a short while ago whether Russian President Vladimir Putin would agree to a trilateral meeting in Miami between Russia, Ukraine and the United States.

Trump gave a vague answer, saying he knows Putin will meet him again, but made no promises of a trilateral conversation.

"We had a meeting in Alaska and I think we're gonna have another one. I don't know about Miami," Trump said, adding that he thinks Putin wants to see the war ended.

The US president is also asked about the possible production of anti-ballistic Patriot missiles in Ukraine.

"Possible. We'll be talking about that now," Trump added, before calling Ukrainians "amazingly capable people".

Image source, Reuters

US President Donald Trump is next meeting with Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

On ending the war with Russia, Trump says he and Zelensky "talk about it a lot", and that he also talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Trump says he and Zelensky will also talk about strikes inside Russia, which he says have been a "serious hit" on the country but have also been a "serious hit on the price of diesel".

Turning to the UK, Trump adds that "the rhetoric" from Keir Starmer was "too tough". He notes that he hasn't heard yet what Andy Burnham thinks, but tells Zelensky that he knows he's on his side.

Trump made a clear effort to keep things sweet with Burnhampublished at 18:55 BST 22 September

18:55 BST 22 September

Sarah Smith
North America editor, reporting from United Nations

Image source, PA Media

Burnham and Trump seemed to be getting on very well, and that is crucial for Andy Burnham.

You can make or break a relationship with Donald Trump, and therefore your country's relationship with the US, depending on whether or not he likes you. And the impression is that he does, for now, like the British PM.

There were some testy topics that came up in their news conference, where Trump could have chosen to attack the UK. But he was very polite and diplomatic in response to a question about immigration, despite frequently saying the UK needs a much tighter immigration policy.

Trump was making a determined effort to keep the vibes light and friendly, and that will have been some relief for Burnham.

He even seemed to suggest that the UK-US relationship is going to get better now that Burnham is in office.

Chris Mason
Political editor in New York

Image source, Reuters

The prime minister tonight will allow himself, I imagine, a sigh of relief.

He knows - the world knows - how explosive these rolling, free-wheeling, live on-camera encounters with the president can go.

Rollercoaster without a harness stuff.

As I crouched between the cameras, determined to catch Donald Trump’s eye and ask a question, I listened and the room listened to a president seeking to be magnanimous - remember he can and does do warmth when he wants to, as well as acerbic.

Flashpoints down the track are inevitable - barely any leader avoids them with this administration and Andy Burnham may want to lean into some, in time.

President Trump’s strong views on the Chagos Islands punchily expressed, and what of that private exchange about the Falkland Islands the Prime Minister referenced?

But outwardly Burnham has a relationship with the president he can build on after today’s conversation - his remaining meetings and speech to the UN are still to come but they are diplomacy by convention, not the wild ride he’s just stepped off and survived.

Image source, Reuters

In a meeting with UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, Donald Trump told reporters that he thought a deal to hand the Chagos Islands to Mauritius was "terrible".

What deal are they talking about?

In 1965, Britain paid a £3m compensation grant for making the Chagos Islands one of its overseas territories.

On Diego Garcia, the largest of the islands, is a joint US-UK military base.

Under a deal signed when Keir Starmer was prime minister, the UK would have handed sovereignty of the archipelago to Mauritius, and lease back Diego Garcia for a period of 99 years.

Though Trump initially indicated that he would back the deal, by January 2026, he had changed his mind and was condemning it as an "act of total weakness".

In April it was shelved by the UK government amid worsening relations with the US, which failed to formally confirm its approval.

With a new leader in No 10, the deal could be back on the table. The Mauritian prime minister says that Andy Burnham wants to "work towards a resolution", while conceding that "at the moment, we don't have that".

During Burnham and Trump's press questions just now, one journalist asked the US president what he thinks about the UK announcing sanctions over illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank.

"Well, I don't know about the move. Do you know about the move?" Trump asks Burnham.

"We did call you just to say why we had taken that [decision]", Burnham tells Trump.

"If there's a situation where there's a tender to put settlements on the West Bank, that in effect makes a two-state solution non-viable, what do we do?", Burnham says.

"If we do nothing, it further erodes people's trust in politics. They'll think you're all talk, and when it comes to it, you're not prepared to follow-up on that talk," he adds.

The PM adds that he condemns the 7 October Hamas attacks "completely", which Trump jumps in and says: "That is true. Very strong condemnation."

We can bring you some more comments from that news conference with Burnham and Trump, before questions began.

Burnham said "we're still ready to play our part in the Middle East, in terms of helping you stop the conflict, open the Strait [of Hormuz]".

"We're with you that Iran must never be a nuclear power," he continued.

The PM spoke about what they covered in their meeting - issues on trade, the Falklands, and others.

"It has been great to be with you and the team today," Burnham added.

Image source, Reuters

Asked if he supports a deal to hand sovereignty of the Chagos Islands from Britain to Mauritius, Trump says "I don't support it" and that he thinks "it's terrible".

Trump adds that the island is "strategically very important to the US".

The US president then says that relations with the UK are "more up now" than they were when Keir Starmer was prime minister.

"Based on my relations with your prime minister Andy", he says, "I think we're doing very well".

The BBC's Chris Mason asks Trump: "Mr President, do you think he [Burnham] is a man you can do business with, despite your political differences?

"Yeah I do," Trump responds. "I think he's a natural business person, we've had a lot of discussions, even before this meeting we were talking with each other numerous times on the phone."

"He gets it. He understands what he has to do," Trump adds.

After Trump speaks a bit about immigration under his administration, Burnham adds that it was a "very big issue" at the Makerfield by-election.

"The progress is being made," the PM says.

Image source, Reuters

UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham is now speaking to reporters alongside US President Donald Trump.

We'll bring you the key lines here, and you can watch live at the top of this page.

How much damage has the US done to Iran’s military?published at 17:45 BST 22 September

17:45 BST 22 September

By Jake Horton

On the state of Iran’s military, President Donald Trump told the UN General Assembly: “All 159 ships of their navy are now lying at the bottom of the sea. Likewise, their air force is gone. Their radar is gone. Their anti-aircraft equipment is gone. Their missiles and drone manufacturing capacity is almost gone.”

The Center for Strategic and International Studies said in March, soon after the war began, that Iran “lost the majority of its naval capability in less than 10 days”, external.

In April, t, externalhe Institute for the Study of War said US and Israeli strikes had severely degraded Iran’s missile and drone capabilities, external.

However, Iran has continued to launch missiles and drones against US allies in the region and American bases across the Gulf.

In June, BBC Verify used satellite imagery to identify damage to 20 US military sites across eight Middle Eastern countries since the start of the conflict in February.

And, despite the loss of its naval capability, Iran has been using speedboats and mines to disrupt shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

Sumi Somaskanda
Chief presenter, reporting from outside the UN General Assembly

Trump's address - in which he considered whether or not he should "annihilate" Iran - was "a very strong speech from a very strong president", an Israeli official tells me.

Ambassador Danny Danon, Israel's permanent representative to the UN, said Iran must choose between the "easy way" - i.e. negotiations - or the "hard way" - sanctions and military action.

Danon also criticises UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres's earlier address as "weak".

"We have seen the weakness of the secretary-general, not only with Iran but also with Russia and Ukraine and also in Gaza - that's why President Trump is stepping in," he says.

Image source, Getty Images

It's only scheduled to last 20 minutes or so, but Prime Minister Andy Burnham's first face-to-face meeting with Donald Trump will be packed with attendees.

It could not come at a more critical time, with serious challenges arising at home for Britain's premier that at least one top economist compares to skating on "thin fiscal ice", external.

Despite previously disparaging him as "extremely liberal" and the former "mayor of a town" (rather than a city), Trump is often known to give warm welcomes in private to newly appointed world leaders.

On the long list of participants for the US are:

• Secretary Marco Rubio, State Department and Acting National Security Advisor
• Secretary Scott Bessent, Treasury Department
• Secretary Howard Lutnick, Commerce Department
• Steve Witkoff, Assistant to The President and Special Envoy for Peace Missions
• Susie Wiles, Assistant to the President and White House Chief of Staff
• Ambassador Jamieson Greer, United States Trade Representative
• Ambassador Mike Waltz, US Ambassador to the United Nations
• Stephen Miller, Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief of Staff

• Richard Walters, Deputy Chief of Staff

And in Britain's camp are:

• Ed Miliband, Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Affairs
• Sir Christian Turner, Ambassador of the United Kingdom to the United States
• Ailsa Terry, Private Secretary to the Prime Minister
• Jonathan Powell, National Security Adviser

• James Purnell, Chief of Staff
• Varun Chandra, Chief Adviser on Business, Investment and Trade
• Sarah Brown, Director of Communications
• Thomas Wells, Prime Minister's Official Spokesperson

Image source, Reuters

Trump also used his speech earlier to highlight the humanitarian efforts led by his wife Melania Trump on the Ukraine-Russian war.

"I also want to recognise the extraordinary work of our great First Lady who has secured the safe return of many displaced Ukrainian and Russian children back home to their families," he said to applause from audience members. "Great job. She worked so hard on it."

Last month, the White House said 34 children have been reunited with families in Ukraine and Russia since she made a personal appeal in a 2025 letter to Russia's President Vladimir Putin.

Image source, Getty Images

After his speech at the UN, President Trump has met with the leaders of Greenland and Denmark to sign a landmark security agreement.

Trump described the deal as "long in the making" and says it will lead to a "long term, fantastic relationship" between the three signatories.

Although Greenland is a sovereign territory, it is part of the Kingdom of Denmark which primarily handles its foreign policy issues.

There are few details available, although during his speech Trump had said that the US will build "two very major military bases" in Greenland.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen says the new agreement satisfies US security concerns about foreign adversaries gaining a foothold on the island while respecting Danish and Greenlandic domestic rights.

Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen has also been upbeat about the security deal.

"We are signing an agreement that brings the 1951 defence agreement into 2026," Nielsen says. "We are, have been and will remain a steadfast friend of the United States and a part of the Western Alliance. Your security is our security, and our security is your security... This is a win-win-win agreement."

Trump did not respond to reporters' repeated questions about the deal falling short of his previous proposal for the US to own Greenland, which was roundly rejected by both Denmark and Greenland.

Bernd Debusmann Jr
White House reporter

I'm currently in a side room at Unga, where President Trump has taken the podium along with Danish PM Mette Frederiksen and Prime Minister Jans-Frederik Nielson of Greenland.

The three came here to formally sign a deal on Greenland's security, resolving a diplomatic dispute sparked by President Trump's threats to take it by force.

We don't have many details on the agreement. But Denmark and Greenland's governments will be hoping it ends the long-simmering disagreement that shook the Nato alliance to its core and sorely tested the US-Danish relationship.

This is already being hailed by Trump administration officials as a deal that has enhanced US security at minimal cost - and with relationships intact.

Many, however, will question whether Trump's rhetoric and frayed relations with European allies have created a long-term problem and permanent doubts in the eyes of friends, and whether it was worth it.

Chris Mason
Political editor travelling with the prime minister

A key part of the life of a reporter is hanging around — and there’s more of it than usual at a jamboree like the United Nations.

The reason is simple — the sheer scale of the thing. Add to that security, and a million and one VIP diaries colliding with each other, and timetables, while diligently read in the building and beyond, are usually conscientiously assembled works of fiction.

Which brings me to the dozen of us loitering in a corner waiting to go into the meeting between President Trump and Prime Minister Andy Burnham. It was due to start about now. But yes, you guessed it, it’s been delayed. And no, I don’t know until when either.