Iranian president vows not to bow down at UNGA
Iran's President Masoud Pajeshkian stated that they have defended their country with full strength.
On the second day of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian launched a sharp attack on the United States and Israel. He stated that the Iranian people have been “victims of terrorism” and that the attacks by the U.S. on Iran were “illegal.”
Pezeshkian said,
I come from an Iran where our esteemed Supreme Leader was assassinated without any legal process or reason.” He also mentioned an attack on a school in Minab, Iran, stating that a primary school was targeted on the very first day of the war.
According to a report by Al Jazeera, as soon as Pezeshkian began his speech, an official from the U.S. delegation stood up from his seat, picked up his briefcase, removed his glasses, and walked out of the meeting.
The Iranian president stated that,
Iran responded to U.S. attacks, but it did not target civilian populations. He accused the U.S. and Israel of targeting Iran's universities, health centers, schools, hospitals, and infrastructure, which is against international law.
He said,
Our innocent people have been targeted by cowardly attacks and invasions. We have defended our country with full strength.
Pezeshkian claimed that Iran has not attacked anyone in the last 200 years, yet it is still labeled as a source of instability and terrorism in the region.
He said,
We do not seek power to attack or invade. We want energy for progress, not to threaten societies with weapons.
The Iranian president stated that,
his country's defense system is designed in such a way that no one should expect bombings on Iranian cities to go unanswered.
He said,
We clearly state that we do not need anyone's permission or approval to defend our country. Iran does not want to use its power to establish dominance in the region. “We do not seek our security in the insecurity of others.
Pezeshkian reiterated that,
Iran is not trying to acquire nuclear weapons. However, he described the use of peaceful nuclear technology as Iran's “natural right.”
He said,
We will not bow our heads nor will we relinquish that right which is naturally ours.
The Iranian president criticized U.S. sanctions, stating that they have the most impact on the poor and vulnerable people.
He said that,
sick, innocent, poor, and the most marginalized people in society are the targets of these sanctions. Pezeshkian accused the U.S. of wanting to harm an entire population of any country to achieve its “illegal goals.”
Referring to Israel's nuclear weapons, Pezeshkian raised the question,
Why is there a demand to send inspectors to Iran when Israel has nuclear weapons? He said, “They have nuclear weapons and inspectors are here with us. They [Israel] commit murder while we are sanctioned and punished.
Mentioning Gaza, Pezeshkian accused Israel of killing over 70,000 people. He stated that Gaza is an open wound on the conscience of the international community and has become a symbol of the failure of international institutions to protect citizens from suffering.
He said that for decades, resolutions have been passed, but occupation and violence continue. According to him, as long as occupation, invasion, and injustice continue, “resistance will continue.” Pezeshkian noted that despite the heavy devastation and ongoing deaths in Gaza, people's faith in resistance has strengthened.
He stated that if a person is displaced from their land, bombed in their home, and attacked, they will resist. He questioned what options such people have besides—“bowing down to bullying, being displaced from their homes and land, and remaining silent in the face of these threats?
At the end of his speech, Pezeshkian addressed U.S. President Donald Trump, stating that he should understand that with the increase in sanctions, pressure, and threats, the resistance of the Iranian people will also increase.
He said,
“We will never bow our heads nor kneel.”
Pezeshkian stated that Iran is ready for dialogue and negotiations, but it will not accept the “language of power.”
On the second day of the UN General Assembly's general debate, besides Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Syrian President Ahmed al-Shara also participated. On the first day, U.S. President Donald Trump had stated regarding Iran that it is a “big decision” for him whether to reach an agreement with Iran or “to eliminate the Islamic Republic.” However, he also mentioned that there have been “very good” discussions between officials of both countries.
Meanwhile, several leaders, including Qatar's Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, condemned Israel's war against Palestinians in Gaza.