Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Wednesday that Tehran would not surrender in its war with the United States, while insisting diplomacy remained the path to ending the conflict.
Addressing the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Pezeshkian struck a defiant tone over the nearly seven-month war but left the door open to negotiations as diplomatic efforts intensified on the sidelines of the gathering.
The US delegation walked out of the General Assembly hall as Pezeshkian began his speech. Washington’s UN mission did not immediately comment on the move.
Pezeshkian also focused on the Strait of Hormuz, the strategic waterway that carried around a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies before the war and has become a major flashpoint between Tehran and Washington.
“It cannot be the case that everyone benefits from the Strait of Hormuz while we are denied access to shipping through this waterway,” Pezeshkian said, arguing that the permanent presence of hostile naval forces and an expansion of the conflict would not produce peace.
Iran has separately signalled that it could reopen the Strait of Hormuz if Washington eases military pressure and lifts its blockade on Iranian ports, making control of the waterway a central issue in efforts to reach a settlement.
Pezeshkian’s address came a day after US President Donald Trump used his own UN speech to defend the war against Iran and warn that Washington could “annihilate” the Islamic Republic if no agreement was reached. Trump nevertheless said diplomatic contacts were continuing and suggested a settlement remained possible.
