Iran’s Pezeshkian slams ‘terrorist’ US but extols diplomacy in UN speech
News Source
•Wed, 23 Sep 2026 18:36:39 +0000
📰 What Happened
Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian spoke at the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday. He hit back at US President Donald Trump, who had threatened to destroy Iran a day earlier. But he also left the door open to talks.
"The US president called us terrorists but we are the victims of terrorists," Pezeshkian said. He held up a photo of former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, killed in a US-Israeli strike. He also showed pictures of schoolgirls killed in an alleged US strike on their school in Minab.
US officials walked out as he began, and Israel's team boycotted the speech. Pezeshkian said Iran "extends its hands towards the world" and that no country in the region can be secure alone.
🔍 The Backstory
The war between Iran and the US and Israel has lasted nearly seven months. It began in February with a joint strike that killed Khamenei.
Trump said on Tuesday that Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff held a three-hour meeting with Iranian officials. He called it "a very good meeting" and said there was "a lot of momentum" towards a deal.
An earlier memorandum that halted fighting has expired. It also covered opening the Strait of Hormuz and lifting the US naval blockade. One analyst said Iran may show some flexibility, while a former US diplomat called the speech a lost chance for a bold offer.
🎯 Why It Matters
The Strait of Hormuz carries a huge share of the world's oil. When tension rises there, fuel prices can rise almost everywhere.
Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian spoke at the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday. He hit back at US President Donald Trump, who had threatened to destroy Iran a day earlier. But he also left the door open to talks.
"The US president called us terrorists but we are the victims of terrorists," Pezeshkian said. He held up a photo of former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, killed in a US-Israeli strike. He also showed pictures of schoolgirls killed in an alleged US strike on their school in Minab.
US officials walked out as he began, and Israel's team boycotted the speech. Pezeshkian said Iran "extends its hands towards the world" and that no country in the region can be secure alone.
The war between Iran and the US and Israel has lasted nearly seven months. It began in February with a joint strike that killed Khamenei.
Trump said on Tuesday that Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff held a three-hour meeting with Iranian officials. He called it "a very good meeting" and said there was "a lot of momentum" towards a deal.
An earlier memorandum that halted fighting has expired. It also covered opening the Strait of Hormuz and lifting the US naval blockade. One analyst said Iran may show some flexibility, while a former US diplomat called the speech a lost chance for a bold offer.
The Strait of Hormuz carries a huge share of the world's oil. When tension rises there, fuel prices can rise almost everywhere.