Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian delivered a defiant address at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), declaring that Tehran will never pursue nuclear weapons. The speech comes amid growing diplomatic efforts to prevent the so-called “snapback” of UN sanctions on Iran over its nuclear programme.
His statements on September 24 coincided with the approaching September 27 deadline for a 30-day process initiated by the United Kingdom, France and Germany to reinstate UN sanctions against Iran. The three European nations, collectively known as the E3, accuse Iran of failing to comply with the 2015 nuclear deal designed to stop Tehran from developing nuclear arms.
The E3 have offered to delay the reimposition of sanctions for up to six months if Iran restores access for UN nuclear inspectors, addresses concerns regarding its enriched uranium stockpile and engages in direct talks with the United States.
Tehran has previously cited US President Donald Trump’s 2018 withdrawal from the deal and June’s air strikes on Iran as reasons for scaling back its commitments.
Pezeshkian accused the E3 of acting “at the behest of the United States of America”. “In doing so, they set aside good faith. They circumvented legal obligations. They sought to portray Iran’s lawful remedial measures taken in response to the United States’ withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA – Iran’s nuclear deal) and to Europe’s breach and other incapacity as a gross violation,” he said.
In a recorded speech on Tuesday, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei also emphasised that Tehran does not seek nuclear weapons but ruled out negotiations with the United States. “This is not a negotiation. It is a diktat, an imposition,” he said.
Pezeshkian condemned the Israeli and US surprise attacks that triggered the 12-day war, which resulted in the deaths of several senior Iranian military officials and severely weakened the country’s defences. “More than 1,000 Iranians were killed when Israel launched air strikes and violated Tehran’s sovereignty, which it claimed was a preemptive act of ‘self-defence’ to target Iran’s nuclear programme,” he said.
He added, “The Iranian nation has time and again demonstrated that it shall never bow before aggressors. During the war, the patriotic and valiant people of Iran laid bare before the aggressors the fallacy and self-delusion of their arrogant calculations.”
The president also criticised Tel Aviv’s ambitions for a “greater Israel”, accusing it of attempting to expand control over Palestinian land and create “buffer” zones in neighbouring countries. “After nearly two years of genocide, mass starvation, the perpetuation of apartheid within the occupied territories and aggression against its neighbours, the ludicrous and delusional scheme of a ‘greater Israel’ is being proclaimed with brazenness by the highest echelons of that regime,” he said.
He added that Israel’s attacks on neighbouring countries show it is abandoning political normalisation. “Israel and its sponsors no longer even content themselves with normalisation through political means. Rather, they impose their presence through naked force and have styled it peace through strength,” Pezeshkian said.
Despite the strong rhetoric, he closed his UNGA address with a call for cooperation. “Iran is a steadfast partner and a trustworthy companion for all peace-seeking countries of friendship and a partnership grounded not in fleeting expediency but in dignity, trust and a shared future. Let us, together with you, turn threads into opportunities,” he said.
