UNITED NATIONS • President Donald Trump stood before the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday and rejected “globalism” and liberal immigration policies while exhorting the world to act against Iran’s “bloodlust.” His speech before world leaders had to compete with news from Washington of a growing movement by Democrats to impeach him.

Trump took aim at China, Venezuela and what he called a “growing cottage industry” of radical activists intent on pushing for open borders that harm national security and sovereignty.

In a later meeting with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, he fended off fresh questions about his attempts to press Ukraine’s president to investigate the family of political rival Joe Biden.

As he addressed the General Assembly, Trump lambasted the World Trade Organization for giving China preferential treatment that he said was undeserved. He slammed socialism for bringing ruin to Venezuela. But he reserved much of his ire for Iran, which he called “one of the greatest threats” to the planet.

“Not only is Iran the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism, but Iran’s leaders are fueling the tragic wars in both Syria and Yemen,” Trump told world leaders.

“All nations have a duty to act. No responsible government should subsidize Iran’s bloodlust.”

The Trump administration’s hard-line Iran policy got a boost on Monday from Britain, France and Germany, which blamed Iran for an attack on Saudi oil facilities this month and said the time had come to negotiate a new deal with Tehran to replace the landmark 2015 nuclear accord from which Trump withdrew last year.

U.S. officials said they hope the new European stance would galvanize opposition to Iran and boost the “maximum pressure” campaign that the administration has pursued by increasing sanctions on the Islamic republic.

There had been speculation, fueled by Trump, that he might meet in New York with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, but officials said that prospect was increasingly unlikely, particularly after the joint statement from Britain, France and Germany.

Trump did, however, raise the possibility of a diplomatic breakthrough, saying, “The United States has never believed in permanent enemies. We want partners, not adversaries.”

Trump, facing reporters’ questions about Ukraine during his meeting with Johnson, said there was nothing inappropriate in his contacts with Ukraine’s president, which he said were aimed at fighting corruption.

He later tweeted that the government on Wednesday would release a transcript of his talk with the Ukrainian president showing it was a “totally appropriate call.”

It was a remarkable split-screen dynamic, Trump using the global spotlight to push his “America First,” go-it-alone foreign policy approach even as Democrats debated his political future.

The president implored the world’s leaders to prioritize their own nations, with strong borders and one-on-one trade deals, rejecting sweeping transnational organizations and alliances.

“The future does not belong to globalists. The future belongs to patriots. The future belongs to strong, independent nations,” Trump told a murmuring crowd at the General Assembly.

President Donald Trump addresses the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday in New York.

the associated press