Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian delivered a defiant address to the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday, saying Iran would continue defending itself and would not surrender in its ongoing war with the United States. Pezeshkian told world leaders that Iran had been attacked by the United States and Israel and described Iranians as victims of what he called aggression and terrorism. He said Iran had responded with force because it was defending itself.
“We have only defended ourselves. We are not terrorists,” Pezeshkian said during his address. He also said Iran had been tested by its opponents but had demonstrated that it could not be forced into surrender. In one of the strongest statements of his speech, Pezeshkian said Iran would continue defending its homeland “until our last breath.” He described the conflict as defensive in nature and said Iran was not afraid of continuing to fight.
Pezeshkian also directly addressed U.S. President Donald Trump, who spoke at the same UN gathering a day earlier. Trump had warned that he could “annihilate” the Islamic Republic if an agreement was not reached to end the conflict.
In response, Pezeshkian said Iran remained open to dialogue, diplomacy and negotiations, but would not accept what he described as negotiations conducted under the threat or use of force.
The Iranian president’s speech came after months of escalating tensions and failed attempts to reach a lasting agreement between Tehran and Washington. Indirect discussions between Iranian and U.S. officials have continued through intermediaries, including Qatar, but Tehran has downplayed the significance of the latest contacts.
Pezeshkian also raised the issue of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical international shipping route. He argued that Iran should not be denied access to the waterway while foreign military forces operate there. The conflict has already disrupted commercial shipping through the region, which is an important route for global energy supplies. During his address, Pezeshkian displayed photographs of the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as well as Iranian schoolchildren who, according to Iran, were killed during the conflict. He used the images to emphasize the civilian cost of the fighting and to support Tehran’s argument that Iran had been subjected to attacks.
The speech drew a sharp response from U.S. officials. Secretary of State Marco Rubio criticized Tehran’s record on human rights and questioned Iran’s claims that it was acting solely in self-defence. The U.S. delegation also walked out at the beginning of Pezeshkian’s address, according to Reuters. The exchange at the United Nations came just one day after Trump’s address, in which the U.S. president said he faced a decision between reaching a deal with Iran or taking further military action. Trump also confirmed that his envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, had held several hours of indirect discussions with Iranian officials in New York. Iranian officials have characterized those discussions as part of continuing diplomatic contacts rather than a major breakthrough. U.S. officials have similarly said the talks provided an opportunity to exchange messages but should not be interpreted as a significant agreement.
Pezeshkian’s speech therefore combined two positions: a rejection of surrender or negotiations under military pressure, alongside an expressed willingness to pursue diplomacy. His remarks came as the conflict continues to affect regional security, shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and relations between Iran, the United States and Israel.
The latest exchange at the UN highlights the continuing gap between Washington and Tehran, with both sides publicly maintaining sharply different positions while diplomatic contacts remain possible.