Masoud Pezeshkian Blames U.S. And Israel, Rejects Bowing At UN General Assembly

UN speech and threats

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian delivered a defiant address to the United Nations General Assembly in New York City on Wednesday, blaming the U.S. and Israel for stoking global instability and accusing them of launching illegal attacks on Iran’s civilians and infrastructure.

Pezeshkian told the General Assembly, "The United States president described us as terrorists. We have been the victims of terrorism," and he added, "We will not bow our heads and give up the right that is inherently ours."

Al-Bayan

Pezeshkian held up photos of children he said were killed by U.S. and Israeli bombs, and he framed Iran as continuing to fight back "until our last breath."

Donald Trump was not present at the UN on Wednesday, and the speech came after Trump told the UN a day earlier that he was weighing whether to "annihilate" Iran after nearly seven months at war.

Pezeshkian also asserted, "To defend our country, we do not seek anyone's permission," as he rejected limits on new peaceful nuclear technology.

SourcesCNBC

Walkout and diplomacy

The United States delegation walked out at the start of Pezeshkian’s speech, and Pezeshkian told the 193-member General Assembly that Iran will not surrender in the war with the United States but believes in diplomacy to try to end the conflict. Pezeshkian said, "It cannot be the case that everyone benefits from the Strait of Hormuz while we are denied access to shipping through this waterway," and he warned that "The permanent deployment of hostile fleets and the expansion of the war will not lead to peace." Pezeshkian also said the Iranian people have been "victims of terrorism" by the U.S., and he condemned U.S. attacks on civilian targets during the early stages of the Iran war, including a girls' school and a sports complex in the south of the country.

Esmail Baghaei said Tehran maintained its negotiating position through Qatari mediators, demanding the U.S. end its blockade on Iranian ports and release frozen Iranian assets, and he said, "This was not anything new." Trump said Tuesday that U.S. envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff held a three-hour meeting with Iranian mediators, calling it "a very good meeting" and saying more talks were scheduled "in the near future."

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SourceshttpsWCIV

Nuclear stance and stakes

Pezeshkian told the UN that Iran is seeking "peaceful nuclear technology," not a nuclear bomb, after Trump threatened on Tuesday to "annihilate the Islamic Republic" should it continue efforts to obtain a nuclear weapon.

Pezeshkian said, "We have only defended ourselves. We are not terrorists," and he held up photographs of the late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and more than 150 schoolchildren killed in the early days of the war.

Pezeshkian said, "Yes they did hit us, but we did not bend the knee," and he added, "Iran must be understood by Mr. Trump and those who seek to bully us that we are ready for dialogue and diplomacy and negotiations without accepting the language of force."

The sources also describe the Strait of Hormuz as a focus of tensions, with Pezeshkian arguing that Iran cannot let others benefit from the waterway while Iran is denied access to shipping.

The UN General Assembly’s annual high-level debate continues through Saturday before concluding Sept. 28, and the session theme is "Restoring trust, managing transformation: a United Nations that delivers for all."

SourcesHaaretzWCIV