Speaking for the first time since the war began, Pezeshkian held up a photograph of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, whom he described as a victim of a U.S. assassination, and insisted that Iran had not initiated the hostilities.
He warned that any attempt by the United States to pressure Iran with sanctions, “bullying” or military action would only strengthen the Iranian people’s resistance, saying, “We will never bow our head or bend at the knee.”
Pezeshkian also warned that Tehran would not allow the Strait of Hormuz – intermittently blockaded since the war’s outset and a key conduit for global energy supplies – to be used as a tool of aggression against Iran, a stance that could further impact already soaring fuel prices.
The Iranian leader’s appearance at the UN was initially uncertain after the United States delayed issuing his visa, ultimately granting him entry while denying visas to several members of his entourage.
The speech came a day after U.S. President Donald Trump told the UN on Sept. 22 that he was weighing whether to “annihilate” Iran, even as he praised renewed diplomatic talks between Tehran and Washington’s negotiators.
Trump’s remarks on the potential for annihilation and the ongoing sanctions have heightened concerns that rising oil prices could influence the upcoming U.S. mid‑term elections.