Messy, troubled, unpredictable: Diplomats describe a world in turmoil as UN opens annual meeting

UNITED NATIONS (AP) – There is not much that diplomats can agree on these days.

Key points

• "World leaders will be gathering at the United Nations in an era of deep uncertainty, " U.N.
• The last nine months alone saw the audacious U.S.

UNITED NATIONS (AP) – There is not much that diplomats can agree on these days. But if asked regarding the state of the world ahead of the annual gathering at the U.N. General Assembly, heads of state and administration and ministers alike will describe a globe in massive turmoil.

With two escalating wars raging in Europe and the Middle East, a global economy in flux, and a shifting world order, international leaders are arriving in New York on Tuesday to an outlook that is massively different from this time last year.

"World leaders will be gathering at the United Nations in an era of deep uncertainty, " U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres remarked to journalists lately. "Meanwhile, power is shifting. The world is changing. And our institutions must change with it."

Notably, the last nine months alone saw the audacious U.S. Military operation that plucked Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from power before a deadly crackdown took place in Iran after tens of thousands of pro-government demonstrators took to the streets to challenge the country's theocracy. Shortly after, the U.S. And Israel introduced a joint attack against Tehran, kicking off an ongoing and spiraling conflict, now involving almost every country in the region. It has since resulted in the effective closure of a critical waterway.

For now, messy, troubled, unpredictable: Diplomats describe a world in turmoil as UN opens remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.