Iran President's UNGA speech: ‘We are victims of terrorism’, ‘Iran wants nuclear energy, not a bomb’ — 10 key takeaways

Pezeshkian's speech came a day after US President Donald Trump warned at the same forum that he could “annihilate” the Islamic Republic if a deal was not reached.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian used his address to the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday (September 23) to accuse the United States and Israel of attacking Iran, reject accusations of terrorism and defend Tehran's military and nuclear positions.

Pezeshkian's speech came a day after US President Donald Trump warned at the same forum that he could “annihilate” the Islamic Republic if a deal was not reached. The address also followed renewed indirect US-Iran contacts through mediators on the sidelines of the UNGA.

Here are the key takeaways from Pezeshkian's address:

1. ‘We have been the victims of terrorism’

Pezeshkian rejected Trump's description of Iran as a terrorist state and said Iranians had instead been victims of terrorism.

“The United States president described us as terrorists. We have been the victims of terrorism,” Pezeshkian told world leaders.

He held up photographs of the late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and children killed in the Minab school attack as he sought to present Iran's account of the war.

Iranian officials have previously said the Minab school was struck on the opening day of the conflict, killing more than 100 children and teachers. The Minab attack and Khamenei's killing were among the issues Iran said it would raise at the UN.

2. Pezeshkian accuses US, Israel of attacking Iran

Pezeshkian said Iran had acted in self-defence after what he described as attacks by the United States and Israel.

“We have only defended ourselves. We are not terrorists,” he said, adding that Iran's people had been targeted by what he called “cowardly attacks and aggressions”.

“Yes they did hit us, but we did not bend the knee,” he said.

His remarks echoed Tehran's narrative ahead of the UNGA that the war was imposed on Iran and that military pressure had failed to force the country to surrender.

3. Iran wants nuclear energy, not a nuclear bomb

Pezeshkian said Iran needs nuclear energy but does not seek a nuclear weapon.

“Iran needs nuclear energy not nuclear bomb,” he said, reiterating Tehran's stated position that its nuclear programme is intended for peaceful purposes.

The nuclear issue remains central to the US-Iran dispute, with Washington demanding guarantees that Iran will not acquire a nuclear weapon.

4. ‘Iran will not surrender’ to military pressure

Pezeshkian said military force would not force Tehran to abandon its position.

He stressed that Iran believes in diplomacy while arguing that the country needs to remain strong enough to resist external pressure.

The comments came as Washington and Tehran simultaneously exchanged threats and pursued indirect diplomacy. US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner held discussions with Iranian officials through mediators in New York, with Trump later describing the talks as “very good”.

5. Hormuz remains a key red line

Pezeshkian said the Strait of Hormuz cannot be used to transport weapons that would subsequently be used against Iran.

The waterway has become one of the central disputes in negotiations. Washington wants free navigation through the strategic shipping route, while Tehran has linked its reopening to the lifting of the US blockade on Iranian ports.

The dispute has broader consequences because the strait is a critical route for global energy shipments.

6. Pezeshkian attacks ‘double standards’

The Iranian president also accused Western countries of applying double standards to Iran and Israel.

“Israel kills, Tehran gets sanctioned, this is double standard,” he said.

Iran has repeatedly argued that Western governments have responded differently to Israeli actions and Iran's conduct during the war. The issue of Western criticism and what Tehran views as inconsistent application of international law has been a recurring theme in Iran's messaging around the UNGA.

7. Iran says it still believes in diplomacy

Despite the combative tone, Pezeshkian did not rule out diplomacy.

His remarks came as the first significant US-Iran diplomatic contacts in months took place on the sidelines of the UNGA. Iranian Foreign Ministry officials said Tehran's conditions remained unchanged, including demands for an end to the US blockade and the release of frozen Iranian assets.

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