Pezeshkian accuses the U.S. and Israel at the UN while offering conditional diplomacy
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian used his UN General Assembly address to accuse the United States and Israel of aggression, reject the label of terrorism, and say Iran would not yield to pressure. He also said Iran was open to negotiations without accepting what he called the language of force, defended peaceful nuclear technology, raised Iran’s access to the Strait of Hormuz, and proposed a security arrangement with Gulf states. Members of the U.S. delegation left during the speech.
Key points
- Pezeshkian presented Iran as defending itself against U.S. and Israeli attacks and rejected accusations that Iran was a terrorist state.
Evidence · 4 source statements
On Wednesday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian denounced the terrorist attacks by the United States and Israel and rejected accusations that his country harbors a terrorist…
his people have been “victims of terrorism” by the United States
- He paired defiance of U.S. pressure with an offer to negotiate, provided talks did not rely on force or bullying.
Evidence · 5 source statements
while Tehran is ready for negotiations, it will not accept the language of bullying.
Iran will not surrender in the war with the United States, but believes in diplomacy to try to end the conflict, Mr. Pezeshkian said
we are ready for dialogue and diplomacy and negotiations without accepting the language of force
We are ready for dialogue and diplomacy and negotiations without accepting the language of force.
Tehran would never surrender to U.S. pressure
- He defended Iran’s right to peaceful nuclear technology while saying Iran did not seek nuclear weapons, and contrasted scrutiny of Iran with Israel’s nuclear arsenal.
Evidence · 4 source statements
Iran will not forgo its rights to peaceful use of nuclear technology.
Nuclear weapon is in Israel, but IAEA inspectors are racing to come to Iran.
Explicitly, we say: neither nuclear weapons nor deprivation of nuclear knowledge,
No nuclear weapons, and no limitations to new peaceful nuclear technology.
- Pezeshkian argued that Iran should not be denied shipping access through the Strait of Hormuz and proposed a future security arrangement with Gulf states.
Evidence · 2 source statements
It cannot be the case that everyone benefits from the Strait of Hormuz while we are denied access to shipping through this waterway.
He also proposed a new security architecture for the future in partnership with Gulf states, including those it has been bombarding in an effort to dislodge the US from its…
- The U.S. delegation’s departure was a visible feature of the address, though reports differ on whether it happened at the start or a few minutes into the speech.
Evidence · 3 source statements
the US delegation from walking out at the start of Pezeshkian’s speech.
Who's involved
Masoud Pezeshkian
Iran’s president and the speaker at the UN address.
He said Iran was defending itself, not acting as a terrorist state, and would not bow to pressure. He said Iran was ready to negotiate without accepting force or bullying, supported peaceful nuclear technology but rejected nuclear weapons, and opposed being denied shipping access through the Strait of Hormuz. He also proposed a future security arrangement with Gulf states.
What they said · 7 source statements
On Wednesday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian denounced the terrorist attacks by the United States and Israel and rejected accusations that his country harbors a terrorist…
Iran will not surrender in the war with the United States, but believes in diplomacy to try to end the conflict, Mr. Pezeshkian said
we are ready for dialogue and diplomacy and negotiations without accepting the language of force
Explicitly, we say: neither nuclear weapons nor deprivation of nuclear knowledge,
He also proposed a new security architecture for the future in partnership with Gulf states, including those it has been bombarding in an effort to dislodge the US from its…
Marco Rubio
The U.S. Secretary of State, whose view on the prospect of a deal with Iran was reported.
Rubio said reaching a deal with Iran would require hard work over time.
What they said · 1 source statement
a deal with Iran would involve hard work over a period of time
Where accounts differ
When the U.S. delegation left the hall
- The Guardian described the walkout as happening at the start of Pezeshkian’s speech.
Evidence · 1 source statement
the US delegation from walking out at the start of Pezeshkian’s speech.
- Hürriyet and Yonhap placed the departure a few minutes after the speech began.
Evidence · 2 source statements
The accounts differ on the precise timing of the departure; they may be describing the same event with different levels of precision.
What was reported
- Pezeshkian spoke at the UN General Assembly in New York.
One source: Yonhap News Agency
Evidence · 1 source statement
- He showed images of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and schoolchildren; Yonhap described the children as more than 150 elementary-school students who died on the first day of the war.
Reported independently by 2: Daily Jang, Yonhap News Agency
Evidence · 2 source statements
- Members of the U.S. delegation left the hall during the address.
Reported independently by 2: CBC News, Yonhap News Agency
Evidence · 2 source statements
Members of the U.S. delegation walked out during Pezeshkian's address on Wednesday.
- Pezeshkian said Iran would not allow free navigation through the Strait of Hormuz while sanctions and a U.S. maritime blockade remained in place.
Reported independently by 2: Bloomberg, Yonhap News Agency
Evidence · 2 source statements
How coverage differed
Iranian state media — Focused on Iran’s readiness to defend itself, resistance to pressure, and claimed rights to peaceful nuclear technology.
Yonhap’s coverage — Highlighted the images Pezeshkian displayed and the U.S. delegation’s departure from the hall.
Still unclear
- The U.S. delegation’s reason for leaving the hall is not stated.
- No U.S. response to Pezeshkian’s accusations is included.
- The address’s direct effect on negotiations is not stated.
Not heard from
- The United States — The U.S. delegation left during the address, and Pezeshkian made serious accusations against the United States, but no U.S. response to those accusations appears.
- Israel — Pezeshkian accused Israel of attacking Iran and raised its nuclear capabilities, but no Israeli response appears.
- Palestinians in Gaza — Pezeshkian invoked Gaza and described resistance there, but no Palestinian voice appears.
- Gulf states — Pezeshkian proposed a future security arrangement involving Gulf states, but none of those states gives its own view.