Pezeshkian tells UN Iran ready for talks but will not bow to U.S. pressure
Addressing world leaders in New York, Pezeshkian said a diplomatic settlement must allow Iran to use the Strait of Hormuz. He argued that other countries could not expect to benefit from the waterway while Iran was denied access.
“We are ready for dialogue and diplomacy and negotiations without accepting the language of force,” he said.
His address followed U.S. President Donald Trump’s speech to the assembly on Tuesday, in which Trump threatened to destroy the Islamic Republic if efforts to reach an agreement failed. Pezeshkian rejected the warning, saying sanctions and threats would strengthen Iranian resistance.
Iran President Pezeshkian at the UN:
— COMBATE |🇵🇷 (@upholdreality) September 23, 2026
"Those who are terrorists and train terrorists tell us that we are terrorists."
"For two hundred years, Iran has not attacked any country. For two hundred years, we have always defended ourselves."
"They bombed and killed these children,… pic.twitter.com/l7UKZbEhXM
The U.S. delegation walked out at the start of his address.
Pezeshkian also reaffirmed Tehran’s position that it does not seek nuclear weapons but would retain its right to develop civilian nuclear technology. He described peaceful nuclear applications as essential to healthcare, agriculture and industrial development.
“No nuclear weapons and no limitations to new peaceful nuclear technology,” he said.
The Iranian president challenged what he described as unequal treatment of Iran and Israel over their nuclear programs, criticizing scrutiny of Tehran while Israel remains outside the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
Responding to Trump’s accusations that Iran sponsors terrorism, Pezeshkian said Iranians had themselves been victims of attacks.
🔴BREAKING
— Iran Military Media ☫ (@IRMilitaryMedia) September 23, 2026
IRAN's President:
"Yesterday, Trump described us as terrorists. We have been the victims of terrorism.
I come from an Iran in which our esteemed Supreme Leader was assassinated without any legal framework or reason." pic.twitter.com/Lemgmpvg2x
During the speech, he displayed a photograph of former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in a joint U.S.-Israeli strike in February. He also showed photographs of children he said had been killed in attacks on a school and a sports hall, alongside images of their graves.
Pezeshkian maintained that Iran’s military actions had been defensive and denied that it had targeted civilian populations.
Earlier, Qazinform reported that U.S. President Donald Trump used his address to the UN General Assembly on Tuesday to warn Iran, propose a new name for artificial intelligence and criticize international efforts to shape national policies.
