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The Telegraph · Iran · 23 Sept 2026

Passive voice hides who attacked, the headline editorialises, and Iran's government is delegitimised as 'the regime'.

5.2
/ 10 · article score
scored on 4 of 11 measures · thin coverage

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  • Amend the headline to reflect the substantive content of the speech, including a reference to the civilian deaths described in the article, for example: "Americans walk out as Iranian president shows pictures of children killed in air strikes."
  • Amend the passage describing the deaths of the 120 schoolchildren to restore the agent of the air strike, consistent with the active-voice framing applied elsewhere in the article.
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Americans storm out of Iranian president’s UN speech

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Subscribe now Log in Login icon Follow us on: More from The Telegraph Henry Bodkin. Iona Cleave US Correspondent, at the UN Published 23 September 2026 4:56pm BST Save This feature is available for registered users. Please register or log in to continue RegisterLog in Comment speech bubble icon 4 Share article Log in or Subscribe Copy link

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Add us as preferred source Henry Bodkin. Iona Cleave US Correspondent, at the UN Published 23 September 2026 4:56pm BST The American delegation to the UN walked out of a speech by Iran’s president in which he accused the US of “terrorism”. Addressing the United Nations General Assembly, Masoud Pezeshkian implied the US was guilty of war crimes by using multiple-warhead munitions in its attacks on the country. He also held up pictures of some of the 120 schoolchildren killed in an air strike on a primary school in Minab. “We have only defended ourselves. We are not terrorists,” he told the audience in New York. “Our innocent people have been the targets of cowardly attacks and aggressions imposed upon our country, and we defended ourselves with utmost strength. America and Israel attacked us.” Mr Pezeshkian repeated Iran’s claim that it was not seeking to build a nuclear weapon, insisting that “peaceful nuclear technology is part of our inherent progress”. !Masoud Pezeshkian held up photographs of some of the children killed in the Minab bombing Masoud Pezeshkian held up photographs of some of the children killed in the Minab bombing Credit: AP Photo/Heather Khalifa The strike on Minab was the most deadly single US attack that killed civilians in the 21st century. It is thought that a total of 156 people died, including an unborn baby. UN human rights investigators have since said that the missile strikes on the primary school, as well as a sports complex in Lamerd, constituted indiscriminate attacks that caused civilian deaths and damaged civilian infrastructure. In his address on Wednesday, Mr Pezeshkian accused the US of using “weapons with multiple warheads” in the Lamerd attack. Bombs and missiles that carry multiple warheads can be illegal under international laws such as the Convention on Cluster Munitions if the sub-munitions are dispersed before detonation. Mr Pezeshkian claimed that Iran was not seeking to be an aggressive power, but added: “No one will think that the bombing of Iranian cities will go unanswered.” His address came a day after Donald Trump told the assembly that he could “annihilate the Islamic Republic” and “drive them into hell”. The US delegation inside the general assembly room stood up and left early in the Iranian president’s speech, which included a lengthy passage defending armed resistance against Israel by the Palestinians and decrying Israeli conduct in Gaza. Mr Pezeshkian also sought to portray Iran as a benign force in the Middle East. “For the past two centuries, Iran has not attacked any country or any territory, but we have always defended ourselves steadfastly,” he said. Iran is one of the world’s leading sponsors of terrorism, including support for regional Shia proxies such as Hezbollah and the Houthis. It has also provided significant funding and support for Hamas. !Greiving parents visit the graves of children killed in the air strike on the school in Minab Greiving parents visit the graves of children killed in the air strike on the school in Minab Credit: Anadolu via Getty Images/Fatemeh Bahrami Hundreds of Iranian-Americans have been protesting outside the UN headquarters against the Islamic Republic and the delegation it sent to the General Assembly. Earlier, the crowd chanted “free Iran” as drums were beaten loudly. Most were holding large signs calling for regime change and waving the lion and sun flag, which has become a symbol of anti-regime protests. The faces of young protesters killed in the uprising at the end of last year and the start of this were also stuck to lamp posts and fences. Join the conversation Show 4 comments The Telegraph values your comments but kindly requests all posts are on topic, constructive and respectful. Please review our commenting policy. Copy link

The Telegraph values your comments but kindly requests all posts are on topic, constructive and respectful. Please review our commenting policy. Related Topics Iran, Iran War, United Nations, United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), War crimes

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