(CNN) -- President Barack Obama reframed U.S. foreign policy priorities on Tuesday by focusing his administration's immediate attention on Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons and the Middle East conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. "While these issues are not the cause of all the region's problems, they have been a major source of instability for far too long, and resolving them can help serve as a foundation for a broader peace," he said in a 50-minute speech on the opening day of the U.N. General Assembly in New York. At the same time, Obama challenged the world body to enforce its ban on chemical weapons by agreeing to crack down on Syria -- even militarily -- if the regime of President Bashar al-Assad fails to turn over control of its stockpiles.
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NEW: Rouhani says Iran is ready for "time-bound and result-oriented" talks
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President Obama reframes the immediate U.S. foreign policy priorities
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Obama challenges the United Nations to enforce its regulations on chemical arms
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He calls for a strong U.N. Security Council resolution on Syria
While he never mentioned U.S. ally @placeholder by name, the intention of his comments was clear.