TEHRAN — President Masoud Pezeshkian delivered a powerful address at the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York on Wednesday, vehemently condemning US and Israeli aggression, exposing international double standards, and asserting that the Iranian nation will never yield to the language of force.
Opening his address, President Pezeshkian directly refuted US President Donald Trump’s accusations of Iran sponsoring terror, emphasizing that the Iranian nation is itself a victim of terrorism. He cited the assassination of Iran’s Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei without legal justification, alongside deadly bombings of civilian sites, including schools.
The US and Israel launched a war on Iran on February 28. On the first day of the strikes, Ayatollah Khamenei, members of his family, and senior military commanders were martyred. A school in the southern city of Minah was also hit by a US Tomahawk missile, resulting in approximately 170 deaths, mostly schoolchildren. Another attack on a sports complex and nearby residential area in Lamerd, Fars Province, also killed 22 civilians. Thousands more were also killed in the US-Israeli strikes, which lasted for 39 days.
Presenting photographs of Iran’s martyred Leader and victims of the US bombings in Minab and Lamerd, Pezeshkian declared, “We are not terrorists; we are victims of terrorism.” He continued, “I come from Iran, where they (the US and Israel) assassinated our Leader, without any legal justification, without any evidence. I come from an Iran where, in fact, they bombed a school.” Pointing to the victims’ images, he added, “You see these children? They bombed and killed these children, using weapons supplied by the United States and Israel.”
Pezeshkian decried the targeting of civilian infrastructure in Iran while commending the country’s response to foreign aggression. “Our innocent people were, in fact, the targets of the unjust attacks that they imposed on our country, and we defended ourselves with strength. The United States and Israel attacked us with the latest technology and equipment, and our people stood firm and fought back,” Pezeshkian stated. “We did not bow to them; we fought back. But we did not target civilians. They attacked our schools, our hospitals, our universities, our bridges, and our infrastructure, after being equipped and supported from the territories from which they came. All of this violates international law.”
Seven months of public resilience
Highlighting domestic unity, the president stated that for the past seven months, the Iranian people have continuously taken to the streets to defend their country and thwart efforts by US- and Israeli-backed elements aiming to sow domestic insecurity. “The people are our power, and we stand with the power of our people,” Pezeshkian asserted.
The right to self-defense
Pezeshkian emphasized that in a world where powerful nations often act as agents of destruction rather than champions of humanity and justice, a nation unable to defend itself is doomed to be crushed. “Our military capabilities are strictly for defense,” the president affirmed, adding that Iran does not seek permission from any entity to defend its country. He issued a stern warning that Iran’s defense systems are designed to ensure that no aggressor would ever contemplate bombing Iranian cities with impunity.
Peaceful nuclear rights
Addressing Iran’s nuclear program, Pezeshkian dismissed the protracted Western rhetoric centered on centrifuges, enrichment, and sanctions. He reiterated that nuclear technology is an intrinsic part of Iran’s right to development, essential for medical treatments, agricultural food security, advanced industry, and a sustainable electrical future. He said Iran will never abandon its peaceful nuclear program. “Explicitly, we say: neither nuclear weapons nor deprivation of nuclear knowledge,” Pezeshkian declared. He added that the nuclear issue cannot be resolved on the battlefield and requires a negotiated agreement that secures both international trust and the preservation of Iran’s rights.
Regional security and the Strait of Hormuz
Regarding regional dynamics, Pezeshkian stated that war knows no borders and crises easily spill over to neighboring nations. He reiterated that Iran views its neighbors not as rivals, but as partners with whom it seeks mutual strength and security. Addressing the Strait of Hormuz, the president criticized the profound injustice where all nations benefit from the vital waterway, yet its historical guardian—Iran—is barred by unjust sanctions from exercising free navigation even within its own territorial waters. Meanwhile, he noted, the same route is exploited to transfer weapons and explosives to destabilize regional nations. He made it unequivocally clear that Iran will not permit permanent hostile naval fleets or expanding wars to destabilize coastal states.
Gaza and the inalienable right to resist
Describing Palestine as an open wound on the global conscience, Pezeshkian condemned the slaughter of tens of thousands of innocent people and the displacement of over 100,000 others in Gaza through systemic Israeli genocide, while international mechanisms have proven incapable of halting the bloodshed. “Resistance is the innate nature of humanity,” Pezeshkian asserted. “If people are driven from their homes and subjected to relentless bombardment, they will naturally resist. What should they do? Surrender to bullying?”
Exposing international double standards
Pezeshkian highlighted stark global contradictions, pointing out that Israel—possessing nuclear weapons, operating outside the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), and never allowing inspectors into its territory—receives billions in unconditional military aid and enjoys complete immunity to bomb any capital. In contrast, he observed, Iran opens its facilities to inspections yet faces bombardment at the negotiating table and crippling economic sanctions that disproportionately harm ordinary citizens, the poor, and the sick.
Rejecting the language of force
Concluding his address, the president delivered a direct message concerning remarks made by the US president: “The statements made yesterday by the US president before world opinion are a clear sign of bullying and the logic of force, contrary to the UN Charter,” Pezeshkian stated. “He must know that threats make our nation more cohesive and stronger, and increase our resistance. The Iranian nation will not bow to force and will make aggressors regret their actions. We are ready for dialogue, but we will never accept the language of force.”
Trump had told the General Assembly on Tuesday that he had a “big decision to make” on whether to seek a deal to end the nearly seven-month war or to “annihilate” Iran and drive it “into hell with no chance of survival.” Iran and the US reached a memorandum of understanding on June 17 to pave the way for bringing a permanent end to the war following a ceasefire on April 8. But in violation of the agreement, the US continued strikes in southern Iran.
‘Courageous’ speech
Pezeshkian’s address at the UN was widely admired by Iranian officials. Mohammad Mokhber, a Leader’s advisor and former vice president, commented on X, “Dr. Masoud Pezeshkian today represented the Iranian people with distinction at the United Nations General Assembly, speaking firmly, convincingly and with sound reasoning in an all-out defense of beloved Iran. The message of the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran was clear: We have not bowed our heads to the bully, we will never forget our martyrs, and we will make the aggressors regret their actions.”
Tehran Mayor Alireza Zakani also wrote on X: “The president’s courageous speech at the United Nations was a firm response to Trump’s offensive remarks against the Iranian people and showed that the effort to disrupt the calculations of the country’s officials has failed. Mr. Pezeshkian, may you hold your head high for keeping alive at the United Nations the memory of our martyred Imam (Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei) and our oppressed martyrs.”
Iran’s resolute stance
The firm response from President Pezeshkian to Trump’s rhetoric has effectively poured cold water on speculation about potential talks between the leaders on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. This unwavering declaration resonated globally, influencing market dynamics as oil prices saw a nearly 2 percent rise in choppy trade on Wednesday, a clear signal that traders were evaluating Pezeshkian’s vow of non-surrender in the wake of Trump’s aggressive warnings. The Iranian president’s address not only articulated Tehran’s defensive posture and its unwavering commitment to its people and principles but also served as a stark reminder of the complexities of international relations and the enduring power of national resilience in the face of external pressures.
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