Masoud Pezeshkian, Iran's president, addresses the United Nations General Assembly in New York, on Wednesday. John Lamparski/Bloomberg via Getty Images
NEW YORK, Sept 24 — Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian delivered a defiant speech at the United Nations on Wednesday, rejecting US pressure and defending Iran’s actions amid the nearly seven-month conflict.
Addressing world leaders, Pezeshkian accused the United States of launching “cowardly attacks” against Iran and said his country had only defended itself.
“Yes, they did hit us, but we did not bend the knee,” Pezeshkian said, while displaying images of former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and more than 150 schoolchildren whom Iran says were killed in the early days of the conflict.
The speech came a day after US President Donald Trump warned that he could take further action against Iran if an agreement was not reached. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday that Trump remained open to a deal that would allow Iran to become “a great and prosperous country,” but linked any agreement to Iran’s nuclear activities and support for militant groups.
Iranian officials, however, played down recent contacts with US representatives, describing the discussions as nothing new. Hard-line figures in Iran have also criticized Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi for engaging with US officials.
Meanwhile, tensions are also affecting one of the world’s most important shipping routes. A cargo ship was struck by an unidentified projectile in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations. Two people were reported injured, the crew abandoned the vessel and the ship caught fire.
The incident has further highlighted the risks facing commercial shipping through the narrow waterway. Before the conflict, about one-fifth of the world’s traded oil passed through the Strait of Hormuz.
In Gaza, a US-backed Board of Peace proposed a six-month, $2.45 billion plan involving 66 projects for reconstruction and governance. The proposal includes infrastructure, health and education projects, while the broader reconstruction bill is estimated at tens of billions of dollars.
Elsewhere, the son of Israel’s ambassador to the United States was seriously injured in a vehicle-ramming attack at a security checkpoint in the occupied West Bank. Israeli forces shot and killed the suspected attacker, according to Israeli authorities.
Israel’s election commission also voted to bar two major Arab political groups from participating in next month’s elections. The parties said they would challenge the decision in the Supreme Court, calling it political and anti-democratic.
