Masoud Pezeshkian tells world leaders Iran will not surrender under military pressure, one day after President Donald Trump threatened to “annihilate” the Islamic Republic if negotiations fail
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian delivered a wartime address to the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday, rejecting U.S. threats against his country while maintaining that Tehran remains willing to pursue negotiations to end its nearly seven-month conflict with the United States.
Pezeshkian’s appearance before the 193-member General Assembly came one day after President Donald Trump used the same podium to say he faced a choice between reaching an agreement with Tehran and “annihilating” the Islamic Republic. Trump also reiterated that Iran would not be permitted to acquire a nuclear weapon.
Pezeshkian said he had originally prepared a different speech but revised his message after hearing Trump’s remarks.
The Iranian president accused Washington of portraying Iran as a perpetrator of terrorism when, in his government’s view, Iranians themselves have been victims of attacks. He displayed photographs connected to Iranian casualties, including children killed during the war.
“We have only defended ourselves. We are not terrorists,” Pezeshkian told the assembly, according to accounts of his remarks.
Pezeshkian Says Iran Will Not “Bend the Knee”
Pezeshkian argued that Iran must remain militarily strong enough to deter future attacks and said pressure from Washington would not force Tehran into surrender.
Reuters reported that he accused Trump of adopting what he called a “bullying mentality,” while emphasizing that Iran was still prepared to negotiate a diplomatic settlement.
Addressing Trump directly toward the end of his speech, Pezeshkian said Tehran was prepared for dialogue and negotiations but would not accept diplomacy conducted through threats or military coercion.
His remarks reflected the difficult position surrounding current diplomacy: both governments are publicly discussing negotiations while simultaneously exchanging some of their strongest rhetoric of the conflict.
Trump Issues Extraordinary Warning From U.N. Podium
During his Tuesday address, Trump defended the U.S. military campaign against Iran and called on other countries to increase Tehran’s economic isolation.
He then publicly described two possible paths: an agreement allowing Iran to rebuild, or further military action intended to destroy the Islamic Republic. The president said he expected an agreement could eventually be reached, while tying any settlement to preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
The White House presented Trump’s broader address as a defense of American military strength and sovereignty.
Despite the confrontational language, diplomatic contacts have not stopped.
Trump said American and Iranian representatives met Tuesday. U.S. officials described the engagement as indirect talks on the sidelines of the General Assembly, although few details about the substance of those discussions were immediately disclosed.
Iranian Civilian Casualties Take Center Stage
Pezeshkian used part of his appearance to focus international attention on Iranian civilians killed during the fighting.
Among the most politically significant incidents in Iran has been the deadly attack on a school in Minab in southern Iran. More than 150 children were reported killed during the opening period of the war, and Pezeshkian displayed images of young victims while addressing delegates.
The Iranian government has used the deaths as evidence of the civilian consequences of U.S. and Israeli military operations. Washington and Tehran continue to offer sharply different accounts of responsibility for the broader conflict and the legality and necessity of their respective military actions.
War and Diplomacy Collide in New York
The contrasting appearances by Trump and Pezeshkian have transformed this year’s General Assembly into an important diplomatic stage for the U.S.-Iran conflict.
Trump presented American military pressure as leverage for reaching an agreement and preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. Pezeshkian portrayed Iran as defending itself against outside aggression and insisted that negotiations cannot be conducted under threat.
Yet neither leader completely closed the door to diplomacy.
That leaves New York hosting two very different tracks simultaneously: increasingly severe public warnings before the international community and quieter diplomatic contacts aimed at determining whether the conflict can ultimately be brought to an end.
For Pezeshkian, the central message Wednesday was that Iran would negotiate—but would not surrender as the price of entering negotiations.
By The Haitian Tribune Staff | September 23, 2026 | UNITED NATIONS, New York
