Iran's President Tells Trump: We Will Never Kneel — As US Threatens to 'Annihilate' Tehran
Iran's president defiantly rejected US threats at the United Nations, saying his country will not surrender or abandon its nuclear program even as Trump warned he could destroy the Islamic Republic.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday that Iran will never surrender to the United States, rejecting President Donald Trump's threat to "annihilate" the country and vowing to continue its nuclear program [248358][248498].
Speaking at the UN's New York headquarters, Pezeshkian said Trump's threats only strengthen Iran's resolve. "The remarks made by the US president yesterday are a sign of a bullying mentality," he said [248358]. He declared: "We will never bow our heads or kneel" [248019][248273].
The confrontation began Tuesday when Trump addressed the General Assembly and threatened to "annihilate" Iran if no deal were reached, while also predicting an agreement would come only after the US midterm elections [248437][248439][248252]. Trump defended his decision to launch war with Iran during his UN speech [247534].
Pezeshkian said he had prepared a different speech but changed it after Trump's remarks. He rejected Trump's characterization of Iran as terrorists, saying: "We are not terrorists" and that Iran has been a victim of terrorism, not a perpetrator [248019].
"We say no to nuclear weapons, but we also say no to limits on nuclear technology," Pezeshkian said, adding that Iran will not accept nuclear energy being reserved for only a few countries [248019][248498].
Despite the harsh rhetoric, the day ended with a three-hour meeting between US and Iranian mediators that Trump called "very good" [247901][247897]. Pezeshkian said Iran remains open to diplomacy but will not accept the language of force [248358].
The Iranian president also accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza, saying more than 80,000 innocent civilians have been killed, and said lasting peace in West Asia is impossible without justice for Palestine [248019].
Pezeshkian's speech marked the first time in the UN's 81-year history that a foreign leader at war with the United States spoke at the body's New York headquarters [248429]. The US had permitted the Iranian delegation to attend despite the ongoing conflict, though with a smaller delegation and travel restrictions [243996].