At UN, Pezeshkian turns terrorism accusation back on Iran’s critics

“Those who are terrorists…describe us using that word,” he countered. 

From the Assembly podium, he held up a picture of former supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who he said was “assassinated without any legal framework or reason” in a joint US-Israeli strike last February.

He then showed images of children he suggested had been killed in US-Israeli attacks on a school and a sports hall, alongside photographs of their graves. 

“They were innocent. They had committed no crimes,” he stressed. 

The Iranian leader declared: “We have been the victims of terrorism.” 

For the past two centuries, Iran had not attacked another country or territory, he said, rejecting accusations that it was a source of regional instability.

“We did not bend the knee; we did not bow our heads. We responded, but we did not hit civilian populations,” he said. 

Nuclear technology: No double standards

President Pezeshkian reiterated that Iran is developing nuclear technology for peaceful purposes, not for weapons: “For our sick people it is cure and treatment, for the agricultural sector it is food security, for industries it is advancement and progress.” 

At the same time, he strongly condemned a “double standard” on the issue of nuclear development, stating that Israel, which is not a member of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), has weapons of mass destruction yet has never been inspected. 

“The nuclear weapon is in Israel, but the inspectors are in Iran. Israel kills, but Iran is subject to sanctions,” he stressed. 

Unstinting support for Palestine

The Iranian President emphasised his support for the Palestinian people, saying that 80,000 innocent civilians in Gaza have been “brutally murdered,” and hundreds of thousands have been displaced. 

“They are committing genocide…then they label others as terrorists,” he said, referring to Israel. 

“Those who have committed terrorism, are they the protectors of peace and stability? They have adhered to none of the international laws,” he highlighted, extending his approach of turning the tables. 

Iranians back home

President Masoud Pezeshkian addressed the wave of popular protests that swept across the Islamic Republic at the beginning of the year, portraying the demonstrations not as opposition to the government, but as expressions of public support for the country and its authorities.

“The people of Iran, in the past 7 months, have been in the streets every night demonstrating in support of their land, of their homeland, so as to not allow those who were equipped and trained and armed by Israel and America to cause disruption to the security of their country,” he said. 

He concluded his speech with another reference to US President Trump, stating: “He must know that the resistance of the Iranian people will only increase in the face of sanctions, pressure, and bullying.”