At the beginning of his speech, Pezeshkian put aside his written statement and directly responded to Trump’s statement the day before. A day earlier, Trump had called Iran “the number one sponsor of terrorism.”
In response, Pezeshkian said, “Those who are terrorists themselves call us terrorists.” He emphasized, “We are victims of terrorism” and that Iran has not attacked any country or region for the past two hundred years.
At the beginning of his speech, Pezeshkian held up a photo of Iran’s late Supreme Leader, Shahid Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Then he showed photos of children killed in an attack on a school in the city of Minab and their graves. He said, “They were innocent, they did not commit any crime.” He also mentioned the cluster bomb attack on a sports hall in the city of Lamerd, where children were exercising.
Pezeshkian said the US and Israel had hit Iran with “the most advanced technology and sophisticated weapons”, but “we did not bend our knees, we did not bow our heads”. He clarified that Iran had responded, but had not targeted civilians.
He alleged that the US had attacked Iranian universities, schools, hospitals and infrastructure, which was against international law. He warned that Iran’s defences were designed in such a way that no one would think that if Iranian cities were bombed, there would be no response. He insisted that “no one needs permission or approval to defend the country”.
Pezeshkian strongly criticised Western “double standards” regarding Iran’s nuclear programme.
He said that Israel enjoys international impunity despite possessing nuclear weapons, while Iran faces ongoing inspections and sanctions. “The nuclear weapons are in Israel, but the inspectors are in Iran”, he commented.
He reiterated that Iran’s nuclear technology is being used for peaceful purposes—in medicine, agriculture, and industry.
However, he made it clear that Iran does not seek nuclear weapons, but will not give up its right to peaceful nuclear technology. “No nuclear weapons, but no restrictions on peaceful nuclear technology,” he said.
Pjeshkian reiterated Iran’s unwavering support for the Palestinian people. He said that 80,000 innocent civilians in Gaza had been “brutally killed” and thousands had been displaced. He called Israel’s actions in Gaza “genocide,” and said, “They commit genocide, then call others terrorists.”
He stressed that the resistance in Gaza “cannot be ended with bombs and military strikes” and that peace in the region is impossible without justice for the Palestinians.
Pjeshkian reiterated Iran’s commitment to keeping the door open to dialogue. He said Iran “will not bow to intimidation or threats” but is ready to negotiate on the basis of respect.
He said Iran is ready to reopen the Strait of Hormuz if the US naval blockade is lifted and military pressure is reduced.
At the end of his speech, he directly addressed Trump: “Know that the resistance of the Iranian people will only increase in the face of sanctions, pressure and intimidation.” The US delegation left the hall during Pezeshkian’s speech.
