Speaking before the 78‑member General Assembly, Pezeshkian said the United States had labeled Iran a terrorist state while Iran itself had suffered “victims of terrorism.” He lifted a portrait of the late supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, whom he said was killed on the first day of U.S.–Israeli attacks on Iran on Feb. 28, and then displayed photographs of children he claimed were killed in a U.S. strike on an Iranian school.
The Iranian leader’s remarks came on the heels of President Trump’s address to the same body on Tuesday, where he framed the U.S. decision on Iran as a choice between a reconstruction deal and the “annihilation” of the Islamic Republic, while reiterating that Tehran would not be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon.
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz told NPR’s Morning Edition that the administration was “internalizing what they brought to the table,” after three‑hour talks with Iranian officials, suggesting a diplomatic channel remained open despite the harsh rhetoric.
Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei announced on social media that Qatar had mediated an exchange of messages between Tehran and Washington. Baghaei listed Iran’s conditions for any agreement: an immediate halt to U.S. hostilities, the end of the U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports, and the release of Iranian funds held abroad.
Pezeshkian rejected accusations that Iran sought a nuclear weapon, but he also refused to accept any limits on the country’s civilian nuclear program. He emphasized Iran’s readiness for “dialogue and diplomacy and negotiations without accepting the language of force.”
The speech underscored the heightened tension between the two nations, with both sides signaling a willingness to negotiate while maintaining starkly different public postures. Analysts note that the public exchange at the UN could shape the next round of back‑channel talks, especially as Qatar’s mediation role gains visibility.