Key Takeaways
- Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Iran would not surrender to the United States.
- Pezeshkian defended Iran's military actions as defensive and insisted Tehran would not allow the Strait of Hormuz to be used against it.
- The US and Iran held their first indirect talks since a ceasefire collapse, but no public concessions were made.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian addressed the United Nations General Assembly, rejecting US President Donald Trump's threat to 'annihilate' Iran.
Pezeshkian stated that Iran would never 'bend at the knee' to the United States, emphasizing the country's commitment to diplomacy while maintaining a defiant stance.
During his speech, Pezeshkian accused the US of 'terrorism' for assassinating former supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, displaying a photograph of the deceased leader.
Pezeshkian defended Iran's military actions, insisting they were defensive and that the country had never started a war, despite ongoing conflicts in the Middle East.
The Iranian president highlighted the impact of US sanctions and pressure, stating that the resistance of the Iranian people would only increase in the face of such measures.
Pezeshkian also warned that Iran would not allow the Strait of Hormuz to be used for aggression, noting that the waterway had been intermittently blockaded since the start of the war, causing global energy prices to spike.
The US delegation walked out during Pezeshkian's speech, indicating a tense atmosphere between the two nations.
In a separate development, indirect talks between Iran and the United States took place through a Qatari mediator, with Iran conveying conditions for an end to the war, including an end to the conflict on all fronts.
Despite the talks, no public concessions were made, and the public stance of both sides towards ending the Middle East war remained unchanged.
The United States, by using weapons with multiple warheads, targeted that sports hall. They martyred and assassinated our scientists, our men, women and children. Innocent children who in truth had committed no crimes, no sins.
Pezeshkian, Iranian President
Yes, they did hit us, but we did not bend the knee. We did not bow our head.
Pezeshkian, Iranian President
