Trump at UN threatens 'military might' in Latin America

• "The United States will no longer permit threats to America to gain a foothold anywhere in the Western Hemisphere. And if necessary, we will use our unmatched military might to secure the vital national interests of the United States," Trump was to say.

US President Donald Trump addresses the 81st United Nations General Assembly at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, on September 22, 2026. Photo/AFP

President Donald Trump will vow at the UN General Assembly Tuesday to use "unmatched" US military power to secure Washington's interests in Latin America, according to extracts of his speech released by the White House.

"The United States will no longer permit threats to America to gain a foothold anywhere in the Western Hemisphere. And if necessary, we will use our unmatched military might to secure the vital national interests of the United States," Trump was to say.

The Republican leader will also accuse Cuba -- which has been in Washington's sights since the US military operation to topple Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro in January -- of having "cultivated ties" with left-wing groups in the United States.

The US president is set to meet interim Venezuelan leader Delcy Rodriguez on the sidelines of the UN later Tuesday.

Trump's speech would also focus on the war in Iran, saying the United States had to act to stop the "vile regime" in Tehran getting a nuclear weapon following the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel by the Iran-allied Hamas group.