Prime Minister Shinzo Abe departed Monday for New York with two deals in mind — an envisaged Japan-U.S. trade agreement and the strained Iran nuclear accord at the center of rising tensions in the Middle East.

Abe is scheduled to attend the U.N. General Assembly for the seventh straight year, giving a speech Tuesday that will emphasize Japan's support for a multilateral approach to tackling global issues ranging from climate change to marine plastic debris.

One major highlight of his trip, however, will be his meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday, as they may sign a bilateral trade deal after negotiations that began with Washington's threat of higher auto tariffs.