Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian delivers a defiant address to the UN General Assembly, telling US President Donald Trump that Iran will never “bow its head” or “bend at the knee.” Multiple outlets report he frames the message as a response to US threats and ongoing hostilities involving the United States and Israel.
Pezeshkian accuses Washington of terrorism and argues it does not follow international law, according to several reports. Al-Monitor and Middle East Eye add that he holds up a photograph related to Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, whose death the sources say occurred after the start of the conflict, and that he presents other images connected to people killed in strikes. Several outlets note his speech comes after Trump threatens to “annihilate” Iran and amid negotiations and the collapse of ceasefires.
While all accounts emphasize the confrontational tone, France 24 and others also stress that Pezeshkian calls for diplomacy and that Iran’s officials describe any sidelines interactions with US counterparts as not materially new. The extent and nature of such contacts are presented as limited or downplayed in that reporting.
