Iran’s Pezeshkian Condemns US Threats, Calls for Diplomacy at UN

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has strongly criticised the United States and President Donald Trump during his address to the United Nations General Assembly, while leaving the door open for diplomatic efforts to end the nearly seven-month war.

Pezeshkian said Iran had been portrayed as a terrorist state despite, in his words, being the victim of terrorism.

He also displayed a photograph of former Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in a joint US-Israeli strike in February, as well as images of schoolgirls killed in an alleged US attack on a school in Minab.

“They hit us, but we did not bow our heads or bend the knee,” Pezeshkian said.

The Iranian president warned that continued sanctions and pressure would strengthen resistance among the Iranian people. However, he also stressed Iran’s willingness to engage with the international community.

“Iran extends its hands towards the world,” he said, calling for cooperation based on the belief that lasting security in the region cannot be achieved by one country acting alone.

Trump threatens Iran

Pezeshkian’s speech came a day after Trump used his own UN address to threaten to destroy the Islamic Republic if no agreement could be reached.

Trump said Iran faced a choice between reaching a deal that would allow it to rebuild or being annihilated.

Meanwhile, Trump said US officials Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff had held a three-hour meeting with Iranian representatives. He described the discussions as “very good” and “very productive”, saying there was significant momentum towards a possible agreement.

Strait of Hormuz remains a key issue

Pezeshkian also addressed the dispute over the Strait of Hormuz, a vital international shipping route.

He said Iran would resist attempts to use the waterway as a means of imposing insecurity or aggression against the country.

The Iranian president’s remarks came amid ongoing negotiations over the future of the strait and efforts to find a diplomatic solution to the conflict.

Analyst Negar Mortazavi told Al Jazeera that Pezeshkian’s speech combined defiance with a clear indication that Tehran remained interested in finding a diplomatic way out of the war.

However, former US diplomat Joey Hood criticised the speech, saying it repeated familiar Iranian positions rather than presenting a new peace proposal that could encourage compromise.

The conflicting assessments highlight the challenges facing ongoing US-Iran negotiations, despite recent signs of diplomatic engagement.