Podcast Summary:

The World with Richard Engel and Yalda Hakim
Episode: “Your countries are going to hell”: Trump versus the world at the UN
Date: September 24, 2025
Host: Sky News

Overview

This episode features reporters Yalda Hakim (in New York covering the UN General Assembly) and Richard Engel (joining from Lisbon). They unpack dramatic developments at the 80th UN General Assembly, including the rise in Western recognition of Palestinian statehood, Donald Trump’s scathing address to the UN, the ongoing devastation in Gaza, and extraordinary diplomatic encounters, including a meeting between Syria’s president and former US General Petraeus. Listener questions also prompt analysis of shifting US policy in the Middle East and updates on Afghanistan’s ongoing crisis.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Atmosphere at the 80th UN General Assembly

• Context & Vibe:

  • “It’s been quite an epic sort of start to the General Assembly… the issue of Palestinian statehood has dominated.”
    (Yalda Hakim, 02:29)
  • Yalda is on scene in New York, describing the UNGA as a convergence point for the world’s biggest crises—namely Gaza and Ukraine.

• Donald Trump’s Address:

  • Trump openly criticizes the UN, calling it a “waste of time” and suggesting it should be disbanded.
    (Richard Engel, 01:59; paraphrased Trump at 03:42)
  • Trump reportedly delivered a scathing speech, dismissing the effectiveness of the institution and mocking the UN building’s aesthetics and budget.

• Trajectory of Multilateralism:

  • There is skepticism about whether international declarations—like recognizing Palestinian statehood—have practical impact or are mere “political theater.”
    (Yalda Hakim, 14:01)

2. Recognition of Palestinian Statehood: Symbolism vs. Reality

• International Moves:

  • The UK, France, Canada, Australia, Portugal (among others) formally recognize Palestinian statehood, a significant diplomatic shift.
  • Yet, “the reality on the ground couldn’t be further away and wider from the vision of a state that we keep hearing global leaders talk about.”
    (Yalda Hakim, 09:23)

• Ground Truth from Gaza:

  • Richard shares an audio update from Nadine, a Gazan girl he has followed since 2021, now a homeless refugee at age 16.

    “What is this? This breaks all of the laws of the justice… Just because you destroyed my house, destroyed everything I had in it, now you're telling me to go to the south, like I’m just some toy you can boss around… no matter how many times they let us leave our homes, we're still going to resilient and stay on our lands because we are Palestinians and this is our land and it’s in our names.”
    (Nadine, 07:15-09:23)

  • Yalda underscores “the constant sound, the buzzing sound of drones—that has become almost the soundtrack of Gaza.”
    (Yalda Hakim, 09:23)

  • Richard comments on the psychological toll:

    “Gazans call them Zenanat—mosquitoes—because they have that buzzing… Now imagine that mosquito is watching you and can bomb you out of existence 24/7.”
    (Richard Engel, 11:43)

• Limitations of “Statehood” Recognition:

  • Palestinians remain stateless and lack practical self-determination despite symbolic recognition.

  • Yalda: “Symbolic gestures help the Palestinians feel empowered. The big question that so many people continue to ask me is: does it mean the bombs stop dropping? No.”
    (Yalda Hakim, 14:01)

  • Richard is stark:

    “The UK and France recognized it, but I would say a century too late… Gaza is in ruins… there really isn’t very much left of Palestine to recognize… In practical terms, it’s hope amid hopelessness.”
    (Richard Engel, 15:59)

3. Trump’s Middle East Calculus: Gulf Allies vs. Israel

• Listener Q&A [18:10]:
  Lucia from London asks if Trump would prioritize Gulf relations over Israel, or pressure Netanyahu at the Gulf’s request.

  • Richard:

    “I think he thinks he can have it all… great relations with Gulf leaders, great relations with Israel… But the Gulf states have made it clear, they don’t agree with Netanyahu’s plans to potentially displace all of the Palestinians… Eventually he may have to make a choice.”
    (Richard Engel, 18:35)

  • Yalda’s recap of Trump’s priorities:

    “The big prize has always been normalization between Saudi Arabia and Israel. The Saudis have said we’re not going to normalize until the idea of a two-state solution is brought to the table.”
    (Yalda Hakim, 20:28)

4. Historic Meeting: Syria’s President Ahmed Al Sharar & Gen. Petraeus

• Former adversaries, now face-to-face:
  • Syria’s President Ahmed Al Sharar (once an Al Qaeda militant, later founder of Al Nusra/ISIS offshoot) met for the first time with Gen. Petraeus, who’d imprisoned him in Iraq.
  • Yalda:

    “If you said this in a Netflix script, that… the former general would sit across from one of the leaders of these insurgency groups and they would talk in the way that they did… General Petraeus would describe him as very impressive, as gracious.”
    (Yalda Hakim, 22:26)

  • Petraeus’s own words: “He was very impressive, calm, poised, even gracious on stage.”
    (Reported by Yalda Hakim, 22:26)
  • Richard reflects:

    “Sometimes there can be admiration among enemies… The same kind of people that join the military are often the same kind of people that end up joining these insurgent groups.”
    (Richard Engel, 24:53 & 25:15)

5. Afghanistan Earthquake & Humanitarian Crisis

• Listener Q&A [26:30]:
  Sukhdeep asks about the earthquake, especially the plight of women, since the Taliban restricts female rescue and aid.

  • Yalda:

    “Nothing ever really changes… There was a moment where the Taliban deployed a team of female health workers… but that doesn’t change the reality… The latest edict… was the banning of the internet.”
    (Yalda Hakim, 27:20)

  • Richard:

    “That was the only way Afghan women and girls were getting any education. You can’t go to school, so they’re going to do online learning. Now that too, it’s not even…”
    (Richard Engel, 28:22)

  • Discussion highlights the Taliban’s continued oppression and the impossibility of normalcy for Afghan women and children.

6. Questions About the UN’s Relevance & Effectiveness

• Cynicism Grows:

  • Richard:

    “So have we come to the place where we agree with Donald Trump that the UN is a waste of time and that every state does what it wants? Or is it because world powers—primarily the US—don’t give it a chance?”
    (Richard Engel, 29:47)

  • Yalda reflects on US dominance at the UN, tight security, and shrinking space for internationality:

    “Every world leader who is here is one of many. The only important leader here is the President of the United States… the rest are just trying to get their issues on his itinerary.”
    (Yalda Hakim, 30:17)

  • Richard: “If you have a president that says ‘America First and America Only’ … what’s the UN really doing?”
    (Richard Engel, 31:13)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Nadine’s testimony (on the destruction in Gaza):

  “What is this? This breaks all of the laws of the justice… we’re still going to resilient and stay on our lands because we are Palestinians and this is our land and it’s in our names.”
  (07:15-09:23)

• On recognizing Palestine ‘too late’:

  “The UK and France… recognized it, but I would say a century too late... after a century of conflict and when there really isn’t very much left of Palestine to recognize.”
  (Richard Engel, 15:59)

• On the soundtrack of drones:

  “The constant sound, the buzzing sound of drones—that has become almost the soundtrack of Gaza.”
  (Yalda Hakim, 09:23)

• On diplomacy & adversaries:

  “Sometimes there can be admiration among enemies.”
  (Richard Engel, 24:08)

• On the UN’s diminishing role:

  "If you have a president that says 'America First and America Only’... what's the UN really doing?"
  (Richard Engel, 31:13)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [02:29] — Yalda’s impressions from the UNGA, Palestinian statehood dominates
• [06:00] — Richard introduces Nadine’s story from Gaza
• [07:15-09:23] — Nadine’s direct testimony from Gaza
• [09:23] — Yalda links Gaza suffering with symbolic statehood
• [11:43] — Drone warfare and psychological impact in Gaza
• [14:01] — Discussion on what recognition means in practice (or doesn’t)
• [18:10] — Listener Q: Trump’s Middle East alliances
• [22:26] — The extraordinary General Petraeus–Ahmed Al Sharar meeting
• [27:20] — Listener Q: Afghanistan disaster & Taliban rule
• [29:47] — Does Trump have a point about the UN’s uselessness?
• [30:17] — US dominance and continued UN limitations

Conclusion

Yalda and Richard deliver a sobering portrait of a world seemingly at an inflection point: the UN struggles with its relevance, US foreign policy is at odds with the direction of many allies, and symbolic gestures (like recognition of Palestinian statehood) are dwarfed by realities on the ground. The episode’s emotional core is Nadine's testimony, anchoring the conversation in human cost. Meanwhile, the show’s first-person insights and analysis make the scale of global events vivid and immediate.

Listeners come away with a sense of diplomatic fatigue but also clarity—international theater at forums like the UN is often worlds apart from on-the-ground suffering. "The World with Richard Engel and Yalda Hakim" continues to connect those dots.