Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has strongly criticised the United States and Israel at the United Nations General Assembly, saying that Iran will not surrender under the pressure of war. However, he said that Tehran is ready to take the path of negotiations and diplomacy to end the conflict.
In his address, Pezeshkian mentioned the military operations against Iran and raised the killing of civilians before the international community. He also presented pictures of children killed in a school in the General Assembly.
The Iranian president rejected US President Donald Trump’s position of declaring Iran a terrorist country. He said that the Iranian people themselves have been the target of terrorism and that Tehran did not start the war but rather exercised its right to self-defence.
Pezzekiyan said that military pressure cannot sway Iran from its fundamental position. At the same time, he made it clear that Iran is not closing the door to negotiations, but the use or threat of force will not be accepted in any negotiations.
The Iranian president also discussed the situation in Gaza, linking the policies of the United States and Israel to the ongoing tension in the Middle East. He referred to the deaths of Palestinian civilians and said that the Palestinian issue cannot be ignored for lasting peace in the region.
On the issue of the nuclear programme, Pezzekiyan defended Iran’s right to peaceful nuclear energy. He said that Tehran does not intend to build nuclear weapons but will not give up on using nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.
The Iranian president also questioned the different attitudes of different countries towards nuclear issues. He argued that Iran’s nuclear programme faces international scrutiny, while the international system’s approach to Israel’s nuclear weapons differs. This was the position presented by Peshkian, which he presented to the international community at the General Assembly.
The issue of the Strait of Hormuz also came up in the speech. Peshkian said that any arrangement regarding this waterway that ignores Iran’s security and interests would not be acceptable. The Strait of Hormuz is a vital route for global energy transport, and its situation during the current conflict has become a cause for global concern.
Peshkian also stressed regional cooperation for Iran’s security. According to him, countries in the region should prioritise mutual cooperation for their security rather than considering each other as rivals. He supported regional security arrangements rather than the role of external powers.
The Iranian president’s speech came a day after US President Donald Trump’s speech at the General Assembly. In his speech, Trump defended US actions against Iran and also spoke of ending the conflict in the form of a deal with Tehran.
The US delegation left the General Assembly hall at the beginning of Peshikian’s speech. According to Reuters, the US mission did not immediately comment on the move.
On the other hand, the Iranian president maintained the possibility of diplomatic relations in his speech. He said that Iran is ready for talks and diplomacy, but the language of force should not be used in the talks.
Peshikian’s speech comes at a time when war between Iran and the US, the nuclear programme, the Strait of Hormuz and the overall security of the Middle East have become important topics of global diplomacy. Despite the positions expressed by both sides in the General Assembly, maintaining the space for negotiations could be an important development for future diplomatic relations.
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