Iran and Venezuela lead attack on Donald Trump, the 'new Hitler' of global politics

Iran says Trump's "shameless and ignorant remarks" demonstrate his lack of "knowledge and awareness".

Iran and Venezuela have hit back at US President Donald Trump shortly after his first address to the UN General Assembly on Tuesday (19 September). While Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif heaped scorn on Trump's "shameless and ignorant remarks", Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro called the American leader the "new Hitler" of international politics.

Trump used his first major speech at the UN to blast countries such as Iran, Venezuela and North Korea without mincing words. Calling the countries "rogue nations" and a "wicked few", he asked "the righteous many" to confront them for a better world.

Maduro condemned the "aggression from the new Hitler of international politics, Mr Donald Trump, against the people of Venezuela".

Speaking in the Venezuelan capital Caracas, Maduro said: "Nobody threatens Venezuela and nobody owns Venezuela. Donald Trump today threatened the president of the Bolivarian Republican of Venezuela with death."

Trump's remarks also drew sharp reaction from Bolivia, a close ally of Maduro. "I am not surprised that a multi-millionaire like Trump attacks socialism. Our struggle will always be ideological and pragmatic," Bolivian President Evo Morales wrote on Twitter.

In his UN speech, Trump said Maduro's socialist leadership has "inflicted terrible pain and suffering on the good people of the country". The US is "prepared to take further action if the government of Venezuela persists on its path to impose authoritarian rule on the Venezuelan people", he added.

Trump vs Iran

Iran's Foreign Minister Zarif was quoted as saying by the semi-official Fars News Agency: "Trump's shameless and ignorant remarks, in which he ignored Iran's fight against terrorism display his lack of knowledge and awareness."

Zarif, who was the lead negotiator for Tehran during the lengthy talks which successfully culminated in a nuclear deal between Iran and global powers in 2015, also followed up his criticism via Twitter.

"Trump's ignorant hate speech belongs in medieval times - not the 21st Century UN - unworthy of a reply. Fake empathy for Iranians fools no one," he said.