US President Donald Trump on Thursday urged United Nations Security Council members to address shared security threats and promote religious liberty across the globe.
"Our nations face a range of shared security threats, including terrorism, drug trafficking, illegal migration, cyberattack, and the spread of nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons," Trump said in his luncheon meeting with the Permanent Representatives of the UN Security Council.
The US holds the monthly rotating presidency of the UN Security Council for December.
"We are working very hard on those problems, especially the last three. There can be nothing more important. The Council must take action to confront these and other dangers facing the world," Trump said at the top of the luncheon at the White House.
"That also includes the behaviour of the Iranian regime, which has killed hundreds and hundreds of people in a very short period of time. They're killing protestors. They turned down their Internet system. People aren't hearing what's going on," he said.
Trump also called on Security Council members to join the United States in "our vital efforts to promote religious liberty" around the globe. "The world is more secure when people have the right to follow their convictions and to worship in peace. We have been very strong on that."