Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian stood firm at the United Nations General Assembly, declaring that Iran will never 'bend the knee' to the United States, even after nearly seven months of conflict. His speech was a direct response to U. S. President Donald Trump's aggressive threat to 'annihilate' Iran if no peace agreement is reached soon.
Pezeshkian was clear that Iran remains open to diplomatic solutions, but he firmly insisted that any deal must include the end of the U. S. blockade that prevents Iranian ships from accessing a key Gulf waterway. "It cannot be the case that everyone benefits from the Strait of Hormuz while we are denied access, " he stated, underlining the strategic value of the waterway.
The moment Pezeshkian began his speech, the U. S. delegation walked out of the chamber, offering no immediate comment. The Iranian president went on to accuse the U. S. of branding Iranians as terrorists while they have been victims of terrorism themselves. He displayed a photo of the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in a joint U. S.-Israeli attack in February, alongside images of over 175 civilians, including many children, reportedly killed in missile strikes on Minab and Lamerd.
The U. S. has denied any involvement in the Lamerd strike and is investigating the Minab incident. Pezeshkian asserted that Iran defended itself with utmost strength. Iran responded with missile and drone strikes on Israel and Gulf Arab states hosting U. S. military bases, effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz by targeting commercial vessels in the area.
In retaliation, the U. S. imposed a blockade on Iranian ports and ships back in April. A preliminary agreement to end the conflict and reopen the strait was reached in June but quickly fell apart after Iran renewed its attacks on shipping and the U. S. reinstated the blockade. Iran aims to maintain some control over the strait and collect fees from vessels, a condition the U. S. finds unacceptable.
During his UN address, Trump mentioned he faced a 'big decision' between negotiating a deal to allow Iran to rebuild or 'annihilating the Islamic Republic quickly.' Pezeshkian interpreted this as a 'bullying mentality, ' asserting, '[Trump] must know that the resistance of the Iranian people will only increase in the face of sanctions, increased pressure, increased bullying. We will never bow our head or bend the knee.' Yet, he expressed readiness for dialogue and diplomacy, resolute against succumbing to force.
Pezeshkian reiterated that Iran would not abandon its civilian nuclear program nor pursue nuclear weapons. Trump, on the other hand, argued that the war had prevented Iran from obtaining a nuclear bomb and demanded that Iran's leaders "relinquish their nuclear ambitions."
On the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and U. S. envoy Steve Witkoff engaged in indirect talks mediated by Qatari officials. Witkoff expressed hope that these discussions, the first since June, would be "constructive and promising, " while Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baqai downplayed the talks as "not anything new, " reiterating Iran's conditions for ending the blockade and releasing frozen assets.
