Iran's Pezeshkian tells UN Iran will never 'bend the knee' to Trump

September 23, 2026 at 07:58 PM2 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told the UN General Assembly on Tuesday that Iran will never 'bend the knee' to US pressure, responding to President Donald Trump's threat to 'annihilate' the Islamic Republic. He said Iranian resistance will only strengthen in the face of sanctions and bullying, and insisted any deal must end the US blockade of Iranian ships and ports.

Key Facts

Pezeshkian said Iranian resistance will only increase in the face of sanctions, increased pressure, and increased bullying.
He insisted any deal would have to include an end to the US blockade of Iranian ships and ports.
The Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of global oil and gas shipments usually pass, has effectively been closed since the start of the war in late February.
On Tuesday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US envoy Steve Witkoff held indirect talks brokered by Qatari mediators on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.

Pezeshkian's UN Address

Pezeshkian told the UN General Assembly that Iran will never 'bend the knee' after almost seven months of war with the US and Israel. He said Trump 'must know that the resistance of the Iranian people will only increase in the face of sanctions, increased pressure, increased bullying'. Pezeshkian also accused Israel of killing more than 80,000 innocent people in Gaza and displacing thousands from their homes. He said Iran is a victim of terrorism, citing the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh on the day he took office and the killing of school children by US and Israeli missiles.

Hormuz Blockade and Diplomacy

Pezeshkian insisted any deal would have to include an end to the US blockade of Iranian ships and ports, saying 'it cannot be the case that everyone benefits from the Strait of Hormuz while we are denied access'. The Strait of Hormuz has effectively been closed since the start of the war in late February due to Iranian missile and drone attacks on commercial vessels and the US blockade. A preliminary agreement to end the war and reopen the strait was reached in June but collapsed within weeks after Iranian attacks on shipping resumed and the US reinstated its blockade. On Tuesday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US envoy Steve Witkoff held indirect talks brokered by Qatari mediators on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. Witkoff said he hoped the discussions, the first since June, would 'prove constructive and promising', adding that the mediators would continue their work.