Iran Will Never Bow: President Pezeshkian’s Response to Trump at UN General Assembly

New York — Addressing the United Nations General Assembly, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian hit back at US President Donald Trump, declaring that Iran would never bow or kneel before force.
In his first address since the outbreak of full-scale war with the US and Israel, Pezeshkian took an aggressive tone on Wednesday, accusing Washington of “terrorism” for the killing of former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei at the start of the conflict. He raised a photo of the slain leader and insisted Iran had never been the aggressor in the confrontation.
The speech came a day after Trump told the UN he was weighing whether to “obliterate” Iran, though Trump also praised the resumption of talks between Tehran and US representatives. Pezeshkian made no mention of the ongoing negotiations and kept his tone defiant, declaring: “We will never bow our heads or kneel.”
He also referenced the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has intermittently closed since the war began, driving up global energy prices, saying Tehran would not allow the waterway to be used against Iranian interests.
Rising fuel prices pose a political risk for Trump ahead of November’s midterm elections. Uncertainty also surrounded Pezeshkian’s New York trip, as it remained unclear for some time whether the US would grant him a visa; Washington ultimately approved his entry, though several members of his delegation were denied visas.