Pezeshkian tells UNGA Iran seeks nuclear energy, not a bomb

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

The 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. It also followed renewed indirect contacts between Washington and Tehran, conducted through mediators on the sidelines of the assembly.

'Victims of terrorism'

Pezeshkian pushed back against Trump's description of Iran as a terrorist state, saying Iranians had instead been the victims of terrorism. He held up photographs of the late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and of children killed in the Minab school attack as he presented Iran's account of the war. Iranian officials have said the school was struck on the opening day of the conflict, killing more than 100 children and teachers.

Accusations against the US and Israel

The Iranian president said his country had acted in self-defence against 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, echoing Tehran's position that the war was imposed on Iran and that military pressure had failed to force its surrender.

Nuclear programme

Pezeshkian said Iran needs nuclear energy but does not seek a nuclear weapon, reiterating Tehran's stated position that its programme is intended for peaceful purposes. The nuclear issue remains central to the dispute with Washington, which has demanded guarantees that Iran will not acquire a nuclear weapon.

No surrender to pressure

He said military force would not compel Tehran to abandon its position, stressing that Iran believes in diplomacy while arguing that the country must remain strong enough to resist external pressure. His remarks 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".

Hormuz 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 the 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 strait is a critical route for global energy shipments.

'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 to its own conduct during the war.

Diplomacy still on the table

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 assembly. 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.