OMM Redaksiyası
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in an address to the United Nations that Tehran would not back down in the face of US pressure but remained open to diplomatic contacts. He spoke a day after US President Donald Trump threatened to “destroy” Iran.
Pezeshkian responds to Trump’s accusations
Speaking at the UN General Assembly in New York, Pezeshkian said Washington was portraying Iran as an aggressor while ignoring the losses suffered by Iranian citizens during a war that has lasted nearly seven months.
The Iranian president said the United States was presenting Iran as a terrorist, although Iran was itself a victim of terrorism. He referred to the killing of Iran’s former supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, as well as attacks in which scientists and civilians, including children, were killed.
“Those who are terrorists and train terrorists portray us this way. Yet we have only defended ourselves. We are not terrorists,” Pezeshkian said.
He stressed that Iran would resist military and economic pressure, saying: “We will never bow our heads or kneel.”
Iran’s position on its nuclear program
Pezeshkian said Iran had no intention of acquiring nuclear weapons but would not accept restrictions on the country’s access to civilian nuclear technology.
“We say no to nuclear weapons, but we also say no to restrictions on nuclear technology,” the Iranian president said. According to him, Tehran wants to use nuclear energy for the country’s development and does not intend to threaten other countries.
The Iranian president also condemned the bloodshed in Gaza. He said lasting peace in the region would not be possible without justice for the Palestinians.
Diplomatic contacts return to the agenda
Despite the tense rhetoric, diplomatic channels between the United States and Iran do not appear to have been completely closed. Indirect contact was established on Tuesday through mediators between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner on the sidelines of the UN meeting.
This was the first such known contact between the parties since a ceasefire was broken in July. Trump described the discussions as “very productive” and said there was “a lot of momentum” toward a possible agreement.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ismail Baghaei said Tehran had conveyed its conditions to the US side through a Qatari mediator. The conditions include an end to the war on all fronts and a halt to what Iran calls US “acts of aggression.”
The contacts have drawn criticism from hardliners inside Iran. Iranian officials said the delegation had been instructed not to hold a face-to-face meeting with US representatives.
Pezeshkian, however, left the door open to negotiations while stressing that Iran would not accept talks conducted under threats: “Mr. Trump and those trying to trouble us should know that we are ready for dialogue without accepting the language of force.”
