World leaders from Iran, Ukraine, and Venezuela are scheduled to address the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Wednesday, September 23, 2026. The speeches follow an address by U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday, in which he discussed potential outcomes regarding the conflict in the Middle East. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez are among the officials set to speak during the second day of the high-level meeting.
The session occurs as the conflict in the Middle East approaches its seventh month. On Tuesday, September 22, U.S. and Iranian officials conducted indirect talks through mediators on the sidelines of the assembly. Special envoy Steve Witkoff described these discussions as "lengthy," while President Trump indicated that a follow-up meeting is planned for the near future. Iranian state media reported that the discussions included Iran’s requests to lift a U.S. naval blockade, reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and release frozen assets.
President Pezeshkian is scheduled as the fifth speaker in the morning session. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who held a meeting with President Trump on Tuesday to discuss air defense packages, is also expected to speak. Zelensky stated he is prepared for trilateral talks involving Russia and the U.S. to resolve the war in Ukraine. Acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez will also deliver remarks; she met with Trump on Tuesday evening to discuss cooperation in energy, mining, and security.
The scale of the issues involves thousands of people currently affected by active warfare in Ukraine and the Middle East, as well as the political status of Venezuela, where the U.S. continues to press for reforms. The indirect talks between the U.S. and Iran involve significant state resources, including frozen assets and the control of maritime trade routes vital to the global economy. For the residents of these regions, the success or failure of these talks may determine the level of military activity they encounter in their daily lives or the availability of basic services impacted by sanctions and blockades.
Future policy and global precedents are also at stake as the UN General Assembly tests its influence on modern international law. While the assembly historically established the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the first UN peacekeeping force in 1956, its more recent resolutions, such as the 2015 Sustainable Development Goals, have seen slower progress. The current meetings serve as a test case for whether high-level sideline diplomacy between leaders like Trump, Zelensky, and Pezeshkian can result in concrete ceasefire agreements or treaty renewals. Following the General Assembly addresses, the UN Security Council is scheduled to meet on the afternoon of September 23 to discuss artificial intelligence.