Iran President Rejects Trump Threats at UN General Assembly

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian declared Wednesday that Tehran will never "bend the knee" despite nearly seven months of conflict with the United States and Israel, responding to President Donald Trump's threat to "annihilate" the Islamic Republic without a deal.

Speaking at the UN General Assembly in New York, Pezeshkian insisted that any agreement must include an end to the US blockade preventing Iranian ships from using the Strait of Hormuz, the critical waterway through which a fifth of global oil and gas shipments normally pass, the BBC reported.

"It cannot be the case that everyone benefits from the Strait of Hormuz while we are denied access," the Iranian president stated, making clear that Tehran's access to the strategic waterway is a non-negotiable condition. The US delegation walked out of the chamber at the start of his address, according to the BBC.

The speech marked Pezeshkian's first appearance on an international stage since the outbreak of conflict in February. During his address, the Iranian leader held up a photo of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and presented pictures of civilians killed in strikes on Iranian cities, the BBC reported.

"The resistance of the Iranian people will only increase in the face of sanctions, increased pressure, increased bullying," Pezeshkian warned, characterizing Trump's ultimatum as "a sign of a bullying mentality." Yet he added that Iran remains "ready for dialogue and diplomacy and negotiations without accepting the language of force."

The defiant tone comes one day after Trump told the UN General Assembly that he faced a "big decision", either negotiate a deal that would allow Iranians to rebuild their country, or "annihilate the Islamic Republic and do it quickly," according to the BBC. Trump argued that the conflict had prevented Iran from obtaining a nuclear bomb and demanded that Tehran "relinquish their nuclear ambitions."

Pezeshkian reiterated that Iran would not give up its right to a civilian nuclear program and would not seek to develop nuclear weapons. "We say it clearly: no nuclear weapons and no limitations on peaceful nuclear technology," he declared.

The US imposed a blockade of Iranian ports and ships in April after Iran effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz by attacking commercial vessels in the Gulf, the Gulf of Oman, and the Arabian Sea, according to the BBC. Iran's actions came in retaliation for strikes in February.

As JFeed reported, US envoy Steve Witkoff confirmed Tuesday that Washington held indirect talks with the Iranian delegation through intermediaries on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. Witkoff stated he hoped the talks would "prove constructive and promising," though Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baqai indicated Tehran maintained its conditions, including the end of the US blockade and the release of frozen Iranian assets, the BBC reported.

On Wednesday, an attack on a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz killed an Indian sailor, Agence France-Presse reported, citing Omani and Indian authorities. India's foreign ministry condemned the attack and called for unimpeded passage through the strait to be restored, according to the BBC.