ES News email The latest headlines in your inbox twice a day Monday - Friday plus breaking news updates Enter your email address Continue Please enter an email address Email address is invalid Fill out this field Email address is invalid You already have an account. Please log in Register with your social account or click here to log in I would like to receive lunchtime headlines Monday - Friday plus breaking news alerts, by email Update newsletter preferences

Boris Johnson has set out his priorities ahead of the United Nations General Assembly, including what he said were "worrying developments" regarding Iran as well as climate change.

The Prime Minister arrives in New York on Sunday, where world leaders will also convene for the UN's Climate Action Summit.

Speaking in a video before he took off for New York, the Prime Minister said: "I'll be talking to our American friends and to our European allies about how we can come together to dial down tensions in the Gulf, to sort out some of the issues now brewing around Iran, worrying developments there.

"Number two, we'll be looking at how we can use new technology to tackle the problem of climate change, and of course, how we can stop the tragic loss of biodiversity, habitats, species going on around the world.

"And number three, as usual, I'll be talking up the United Kingdom, after we come out of the European Union on October 31, and indeed before, as a great place to live, to work, above all to come and invest."

It comes as Iran’s president has warned foreign forces to stay out of the Gulf, after the US said it was deploying troops to the region.

Hassan Rouhani said foreign forces had always brought "pain and misery" and should not be used in an "arms race".

Mr Rouhani also said Iran would present a new Gulf peace initiative at the United Nations in the coming days.

The US has confirmed it is sending more troops to Saudi Arabia after a drone attack on Saudi oil facilities both nations blame on Iran.

US Defence Secretary Mark Esper said the move would be "defensive in nature" but officials have not yet decided how many troops will be sent.

Soldiers and military equipment will also be sent to Saudi ally the neighbouring United Arab Emirates.

Saudi Arabia oil refinery damage in pictures 12 show all Saudi Arabia oil refinery damage in pictures 1/12 Damage to Saudi Arabia's Abqaiq oil processing plant pictured for the first time. AFP/Getty Images 2/12 A damaged installation in Saudi Arabia's Abqaiq oil processing plant. Oil Prices jumped by 20 percent following the attacks last Saturday, but have since settled. AFP/Getty Images 3/12 Smoke is seen following a fire at an Aramco factory in Abqaiq, Saudi Arabia, last Saturday. REUTERS 4/12 An employee of Aramco oil company looks at a destroyed installation in Saudi Arabia's Abqaiq oil processing plant. AFP/Getty Images 5/12 Photographers have been let into a destroyed installation in Saudi Arabia's Abqaiq oil processing plant is pictured The strikes on Abqaiq - have been claimed by Yemen's Houthi rebels, but the Saudi's have blamed the attacks on Iran. AFP/Getty Images 6/12 During a trip organized by Saudi information ministry, engineers fix Aramco's oil operator at processing facility. Saudi Arabia allowed journalists access Friday to the site of a missile-and-drone attack on a facility at the heart of the kingdom's oil industry, an assault that disrupted global energy supplies and further raised tensions between the U.S. and Iran. AP 7/12 Workers are seen at the damaged site of Saudi Aramco oil facility in Abqaiq, Saudi Arabia. REUTERS 8/12 A metal part of a damaged tank is seen at the damaged site of Saudi Aramco oil facility in Abqaiq, Saudi Arabia. REUTERS 9/12 A destroyed installation in Saudi Arabia's Khurais oil processing plant. Saudi Arabia said its oil output will return to normal by the end of the month. AFP/Getty Images 10/12 Damaged structures are seen in the Aramco's Khurais oil field, Saudi Arabia, after it was hit during an attack last Saturday. AP 11/12 A hole in a damaged pipeline is seen at Saudi Aramco oil facility in Khurais, Saudi Arabia. REUTERS 12/12 A destroyed installation in Saudi Arabia's Khurais oil processing plant is pictured on September 20, 2019. - Saudi Arabia said. The strikes on Abqaiq - the world's largest oil processing facility - and the Khurais oil field in eastern Saudi Arabia roiled energy markets and revived fears of a conflict in the tinderbox Gulf region. AFP/Getty Images 1/12 Damage to Saudi Arabia's Abqaiq oil processing plant pictured for the first time. AFP/Getty Images 2/12 A damaged installation in Saudi Arabia's Abqaiq oil processing plant. Oil Prices jumped by 20 percent following the attacks last Saturday, but have since settled. AFP/Getty Images 3/12 Smoke is seen following a fire at an Aramco factory in Abqaiq, Saudi Arabia, last Saturday. REUTERS 4/12 An employee of Aramco oil company looks at a destroyed installation in Saudi Arabia's Abqaiq oil processing plant. AFP/Getty Images 5/12 Photographers have been let into a destroyed installation in Saudi Arabia's Abqaiq oil processing plant is pictured The strikes on Abqaiq - have been claimed by Yemen's Houthi rebels, but the Saudi's have blamed the attacks on Iran. AFP/Getty Images 6/12 During a trip organized by Saudi information ministry, engineers fix Aramco's oil operator at processing facility. Saudi Arabia allowed journalists access Friday to the site of a missile-and-drone attack on a facility at the heart of the kingdom's oil industry, an assault that disrupted global energy supplies and further raised tensions between the U.S. and Iran. AP 7/12 Workers are seen at the damaged site of Saudi Aramco oil facility in Abqaiq, Saudi Arabia. REUTERS 8/12 A metal part of a damaged tank is seen at the damaged site of Saudi Aramco oil facility in Abqaiq, Saudi Arabia. REUTERS 9/12 A destroyed installation in Saudi Arabia's Khurais oil processing plant. Saudi Arabia said its oil output will return to normal by the end of the month. AFP/Getty Images 10/12 Damaged structures are seen in the Aramco's Khurais oil field, Saudi Arabia, after it was hit during an attack last Saturday. AP 11/12 A hole in a damaged pipeline is seen at Saudi Aramco oil facility in Khurais, Saudi Arabia. REUTERS 12/12 A destroyed installation in Saudi Arabia's Khurais oil processing plant is pictured on September 20, 2019. - Saudi Arabia said. The strikes on Abqaiq - the world's largest oil processing facility - and the Khurais oil field in eastern Saudi Arabia roiled energy markets and revived fears of a conflict in the tinderbox Gulf region. AFP/Getty Images

The drone and missile attacks on the Saudi oil facilities at Abquai and Khurais earlier this month have marked continuing tensions between the US and Iran this year.

Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi rebels said they had carried out the attacks, but both the US and its ally Saudi Arabia - Iran's main regional rival - said Iran was behind them, something Tehran has strongly denied.

Saudi Arabia has said it will seek to make a case in New York for concerted action to punish and deter Iran.

France's foreign minister said on Sunday his country's main aim at the assembly is to de-escalate tensions between the US and Iran, and a meeting between their presidents was not the top priority.

"The meeting between (U.S.) President (Donald) Trump and (Iranian) President (Hassan) Rouhani is not the number one subject.

The priority subject is whether we can restart a de-escalation path with the different actors," Jean-Yves Le Drian told reporters.

France has led a European effort to try and defuse tensions between Washington and Tehran but those efforts have stalled, with Iran reducing its commitments to a 2015 nuclear deal with world powers and the United States refusing to ease sanctions that have strangled Iran's economy.