NEW YORK – Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian used his platform at the United Nations General Assembly to urge the United States to revive the June ceasefire Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) ahead of the crucial November midterm elections. Pezeshkian’s address forcefully challenged Western accusations of terrorism against Tehran, shifting the onus onto the US administration to de-escalate a months-long military stand-off.
Speaking to the assembly, Pezeshkian directly countered US President Donald Trump’s earlier statement branding Iran as the “number one sponsor of terror.” Pezeshkian retorted, “Those who are terrorists…describe us using that word.”
Accusations and Defense
To underscore his points, the Iranian leader displayed a photograph of former supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, claiming he was “assassinated without any legal framework or reason” in a joint US-Israeli strike last February. He then showed images of children allegedly killed in US-Israeli strikes on a school and sports hall, alongside pictures of their graves. “They were innocent. They had committed no crimes. We have been the victims of terrorism,” Pezeshkian asserted.
Pezeshkian emphasized Iran’s historical record, stating the nation has not attacked another country in two centuries, and characterized Tehran’s recent actions as purely self-defense. “We did not bend the knee; we did not bow our heads. We responded, but we did not hit civilian populations,” he declared.
On the sidelines of the UN gathering, Pezeshkian pressed for immediate diplomatic engagement regarding the June arrangement. This deal, signed in Islamabad, aimed to cease hostilities, reopen the vital Strait of Hormuz, and alleviate naval blockades, but it ultimately unraveled due to mutual accusations of breaches.
“We don’t want it to get to the midterm elections,” Pezeshkian stated. “We wish Americans to return to the MOU before the midterms.”
He added, “We did reach an agreement with your president, that agreement was signed, and based on that, we are willing and still wish to move forward. And the framework was agreed upon. We had not closed the Strait of Hormuz; it was open, without any legal justification or framework... They attacked us.”
Nuclear Program and Regional Conflicts
Addressing international concerns regarding Tehran's nuclear capabilities, Pezeshkian maintained that Iran's technology is exclusively for peaceful applications, including medicine, agriculture, and industrial development. He highlighted a perceived global imbalance, noting, “The nuclear weapon is in Israel, but the inspectors are in Iran. Israel kills, but Iran is subject to sanctions,” pointing out that Israel remains outside the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) without international inspection. He reiterated Tehran's readiness to welcome international monitors back into its facilities and reduce enriched nuclear stockpiles if Washington honors its commitments.
Pezeshkian also sharply criticized operations in Gaza, alleging that 80,000 innocent civilians have been “brutally murdered” and hundreds of thousands displaced. “They are committing genocide...then they label others as terrorists,” he claimed.
Domestic Affairs and Future Outlook
Domestically, Pezeshkian framed seven months of widespread protests across Iran not as anti-government unrest, but as patriotic demonstrations. He claimed citizens took to the streets nightly “to not allow those who were equipped and trained and armed by Israel and America to cause disruption to the security of their country.”
Concluding his address with a direct message to Washington, Pezeshkian warned that sanctions and military pressure would not extract concessions from Iran.
“We will keep resisting,” he affirmed. “We will find ways, and the life of our country will continue. But we do not wish to continue. It’s America that must choose whether it wants to end this or not.”
He further cautioned that President Trump “must know that the resistance of the Iranian people will only increase in the face of sanctions, pressure, and bullying.”
US officials, however, have expressed ongoing skepticism. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio noted that securing a lasting agreement requires rigorous negotiation, stating that President Trump retains “a number of options available, including military options.” President Trump, in his earlier UN address, warned of severe consequences if a deal is not reached quickly, while suggesting Tehran was attempting to delay progress until after the midterms.