Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has warned that his country will not give in to pressure from the United States, saying Iran will never “bend at the knee”.
Speaking at the United Nations on Wednesday, Pezeshkian took a strong position against Washington and Israel in his first address to the global body since the two countries launched an all-out war against Iran.
He accused the United States of “terrorism” over the killing of Iran’s former Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, at the beginning of the conflict.
During his speech, Pezeshkian displayed a photograph of Khamenei and said Iran had never been the country that started a war.
His comments came a day after US President Donald Trump told the UN that he was considering whether to “annihilate” Iran. Trump, however, also welcomed renewed discussions between US and Iranian negotiators aimed at resolving the conflict.
Pezeshkian did not mention the negotiations in his speech.
“(Trump) must know that the resistance of the Iranian people will only increase in the face of sanctions, increased pressure, increased bullying. We will never bow our head or bend at the knee,” he said.
The Iranian president also addressed the situation around the Strait of Hormuz, a key global shipping route that has been intermittently blocked since the war began.
The disruption has contributed to a sharp rise in energy prices around the world.
Pezeshkian said Iran would not accept the waterway being used against the country while others continued to benefit from it.
“We cannot let some have free access and bolster their interests from the waterway, while at the same time using that waterway to impose their aggression upon us,” he said.
The rise in fuel prices could also create political problems for Trump’s Republican Party ahead of the US midterm elections in November, particularly as the party seeks to maintain control of Congress.
Pezeshkian’s appearance at the UN General Assembly had initially been uncertain because Washington had not confirmed whether he would be granted a visa.
The United States eventually approved his visa but refused entry permits to several members of his delegation.