Archive · 23 Sep 2026
Pezeshkian Defies Trump, Offers Diplomacy in UN Wartime Speech
Iran’s president gave a strong speech at the United Nations.
He said the United States and Israel attacked Iran and that Iran was defending itself.
He showed pictures of a former Iranian leader and children reported killed in the war.
He said Iran would not surrender to the United States.
However, he also said Iran was willing to talk and negotiate.
This happened after US President Donald Trump warned that Iran could face very severe consequences.
Trump said US and Iranian representatives had held a good meeting.
Iranian officials said the meeting was not new and repeated their demands.
The two countries still disagree about the war, negotiations, and attacks on civilians.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told the UN that Iran had defended itself against attacks by the United States and Israel.
Pezeshkian said Iranians were victims of terrorism and declared, “we did not bend the knee” to Washington.
He held up images of late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and more than 150 schoolchildren reportedly killed during the war’s first days.
Pezeshkian called for dialogue and negotiations but rejected what he described as the language of force.
The speech followed reported indirect US-Iranian talks, which Washington called positive while Tehran described them as routine and maintained demands over sanctions-related measures.
- Who
- Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, US President Donald Trump, and officials from Iran and the United States.
- What
- Pezeshkian delivered a defiant UN speech accusing the United States and Israel of attacking Iran while offering diplomacy without accepting force.
- When
- Wednesday, after Trump’s UN remarks the previous day; the reports describe a nearly seven-month war and more than a year of negotiations.
- Where
- The United Nations General Assembly in New York, with separate indirect discussions held on the sidelines of the gathering.
- Why
- Pezeshkian sought to defend Iran’s actions, reject surrender, and state Tehran’s conditions for negotiations.
Iran’s Account
US Position and Claims
Responsibility for the conflict
Iran’s Account
Pezeshkian said the United States and Israel attacked Iran and that Iran was acting in self-defense.
US Position and Claims
Trump warned that the Islamic Republic could be annihilated if a deal was not reached soon, portraying the conflict as linked to unresolved negotiations.
Diplomacy and pressure
Iran’s Account
Pezeshkian said Iran was ready for dialogue but would not accept negotiations conducted through force. Iranian officials also demanded changes to the US blockade and the release of frozen assets.
US Position and Claims
Trump said a meeting involving his envoys and Iranian officials was very good, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Trump was open to meeting Pezeshkian.
Civilian casualties
Iran’s Account
Pezeshkian said Iranian civilians were targeted and denied that Iran had attacked civilian populations.
US Position and Claims
The reports state that mariners and migrant workers had been among civilians killed in Iranian attacks, contradicting Pezeshkian’s denial.
- Speaker
- Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian
- Venue
- United Nations General Assembly, New York
- Iran’s position
- Iran says it defended itself against attacks by the United States and Israel.
- Diplomatic position
- Pezeshkian said Iran remains open to dialogue and negotiations without accepting the language of force.
- Reported casualties
- Pezeshkian displayed images of more than 150 schoolchildren reported killed in the war’s first days.
- US-Iran contact
- US and Iranian officials reportedly held about three hours of indirect discussions through Qatari mediators.
- Iranian demands
- Iran called for an end to the US blockade of Iranian ports and the release of frozen Iranian assets.
