At a Glance

• Iran’s president addressed the UN General Assembly as the conflict with the United States continues.
• Masoud Pezeshkian accused the US and Israel of attacking Iran and defended Tehran’s military response.
• Washington rejected Iran’s portrayal of itself as a victim and criticized its record on human rights.
• The speech followed renewed US-Iranian contacts in New York, though both sides played down the significance of the meeting.

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Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian used his address to the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday to defend Iran’s position in the ongoing conflict with the United States and Israel while leaving the door open to diplomacy.

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Key Statements and Focus Area

• Iran’s Defense of Its Position: “We have only defended ourselves. We are not terrorists.” — Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.
• Call for Diplomacy: “We are ready for dialogue and diplomacy and negotiations without accepting the language of force.” — Pezeshkian.
• US Response: “I don’t know what standing Iran has to lecture anyone on human rights or the international system when they habitually violate it.” — US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

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Pezeshkian addressed world leaders in New York one day after US President Donald Trump warned that he could “annihilate” the Islamic Republic if an agreement to end the conflict was not reached. Trump also said he had a major decision to make over whether to pursue a deal with Tehran or escalate the war.

During his speech, Pezeshkian displayed large photographs of Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and Iranian schoolchildren who, according to Iranian authorities, were killed during the opening days of the conflict. He described the attacks on Iran as aggression and said Tehran had responded with force.

Pezeshkian also directly addressed Trump, saying Iran would not accept negotiations conducted under military pressure. His remarks placed diplomacy alongside continued resistance as Tehran’s stated approach to the conflict.

The speech came hours after US and Iranian officials held an unexpected meeting on the sidelines of the UN gathering. Trump said his envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner had met Iranian officials for about three hours and described the discussion as “very good.”

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei, however, played down the encounter. He said the discussions were conducted indirectly through Qatari mediators and maintained Tehran’s demand that Washington lift its blockade of Iranian ports and release frozen Iranian assets.

Rubio likewise described the contact as a continuation of earlier discussions rather than a breakthrough. He said Washington remained willing to exchange messages with Tehran but cautioned against portraying the meeting as a major diplomatic development.

The exchanges came after more than a year of intermittent negotiations between Washington and Tehran, with previous diplomatic efforts repeatedly disrupted by renewed conflict. The latest confrontation has also affected commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, where traffic remains below prewar levels.

FYI

The latest diplomatic contact follows a June ceasefire that broke down, ending a period of reduced fighting and returning negotiations to an uncertain track. Iran has continued to demand changes to US sanctions and restrictions, while Washington has maintained pressure on Tehran as the conflict continues.

The 81st UN General Assembly is taking place from September 22 to September 28 in New York, bringing world leaders together amid ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere.

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