Pezeshkian at the UN: Iran Will Not Bow to Aggressors
WANA (Sep 24) – The President of Iran told the UN General Assembly: “Iran will not bow to aggressors, and the country’s enemies have, unintentionally, reinforced national unity.”
At the start of his address, Pezeshkian said: “In the twelve-day defense, the patriotic and courageous people of Iran exposed the delusional calculations of arrogant aggressors. The enemies of Iran, without intending to, strengthened the sacred unity of the nation.”
He added: “Despite the harshest, longest, and heaviest economic sanctions, psychological and media warfare, and persistent efforts to sow division, the people of Iran—at the very moment the first bullet was fired onto their soil—stood united behind their brave armed forces. Today, too, they honor the blood of their fallen.”
Pezeshkian displays images of those killed in Iran’s 12-day war at the UN. 24 Sep 2025. Social media / WANA News Agency
Full Speech of the President:
In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful.
Mr. Secretary-General,
Madam President,
Distinguished Representatives,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
This year’s theme, “Eighty Years and Beyond: For Peace, Development and Human Rights”, is in fact a call for solidarity and a shared vision of a brighter future. Our religious faith, as well as the teachings of all prophets, is founded on the equality of rights for all human beings. What makes a person truly worthy is piety—truthfulness, wisdom, purity, and compassion.
The foundation of all divine religions, and of human conscience, is the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Jesus (peace be upon him) said: “Treat others as you wish to be treated.” The Prophet of Islam (peace be upon him) said: “None of you truly believes until he loves for others what he loves for himself.” Rabbi Hillel expressed the essence of the Torah as: “What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow.” The traditions of the East uphold the same principle; and secular schools of ethics, through reason and conscience, have reached the same conclusion.
Excellencies,
But is our world like this today? Over the past two years, the world has witnessed genocide in Gaza; the destruction of homes and repeated violations of sovereignty and territorial integrity in Lebanon; the devastation of Syria’s infrastructure; assaults on the people of Yemen; the enforced starvation of emaciated children in their mothers’ arms; brazen raids on nations’ sovereignty, violations of territorial integrity, and even direct targeting of national leaders—all backed by the most heavily armed state in the world, under the pretext of self-defense. Would you accept these for yourselves?
Who destabilizes the region and the world? Who threatens international peace and security? Who violates humanity’s Golden Rule?
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Just this past June, my country endured a savage attack, in blatant violation of fundamental principles of international law. Airstrikes by Israel and the United States against Iranian cities, homes, and infrastructure—at the very moment we were engaged in diplomatic negotiations—were a grave betrayal of diplomacy and a blow to peace and stability. These brazen aggressions not only killed our commanders, citizens, children, women, scientists, and intellectuals, but also dealt a severe strike to international trust and to the prospects of peace in our region.
If we do not resist such dangerous norm-breaking, these precedents will soon endanger the entire world: attacks on safeguarded nuclear facilities under international monitoring; open attempts to assassinate leaders and officials of UN member states; systematic targeting of journalists and media professionals; and the killing of individuals turned into “military targets” simply because of their knowledge or expertise. Would you accept this for yourselves?
Those who commit such crimes must know: Iran—the world’s oldest continuous civilization—has always stood firm against the storms of history. Time and again, with spirit and resolve, this nation has shown that it does not bow to aggressors. Today, too, in the face of invaders, Iran stands tall—relying on the power of faith and national unity.
In the twelve-day defense, the patriotic and valiant people of Iran shattered the illusions of arrogant aggressors. Iran’s enemies, unintentionally, consolidated national unity. Despite the harshest and longest economic sanctions, relentless psychological and media warfare, and constant attempts to sow division, at the very first shot fired on their soil, Iranians rallied in full support of their armed forces—and today they continue to honor their martyrs.
Here, on behalf of the Iranian people, I sincerely thank all personalities, nations, governments, and international and regional organizations that stood in solidarity with Iran during this war.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Today, after nearly two years of genocide, mass starvation, ongoing apartheid in the occupied territories, and aggression against neighbors, the absurd and delusional idea of a “Greater Israel” is being shamelessly voiced at the highest levels of that regime. This plan encompasses much of the region’s lands. It reveals the regime’s true expansionist intentions, recently reaffirmed by its own prime minister. No one in the world is safe from its designs.
Clearly, Israel and its backers are no longer even content with political normalization. They impose their presence by naked force, branding it as “peace through power.” Yet this is neither peace nor power—it is aggression, coercion, and bullying.
But we envision a powerful Iran, alongside powerful neighbors, in a strong region with a bright future. Against grand projects that impose genocide, destruction, and instability on the region, we defend a shared and hopeful vision: one that ensures collective security through real mechanisms of defense cooperation and joint responses to threats; one that upholds human dignity and cultural diversity as core values; one that turns shared development into reality through joint investment in infrastructure and new technologies; one that sees energy security and fair use of vital resources as pillars of economic stability; one that safeguards the environment for future generations; one that recognizes national sovereignty and territorial integrity as non-negotiable; one that seeks not “peace through force” but power through peace.
In such a strong region, killing and bloodshed have no place. For years, Iran has been among the staunchest advocates of a Middle East free of weapons of mass destruction. Yet those who possess the largest nuclear arsenals, and who flagrantly violate the NPT by making their weapons ever deadlier, have for decades pressured our people with false accusations.
Just last week, three European countries—after failing to subdue the proud Iranian people through a decade of broken promises, and later through backing military aggression—under U.S. orders attempted, through pressure, bullying, and abuse, to reinstate the annulled Security Council resolutions against Iran. In doing so, they abandoned goodwill, circumvented legal obligations, misrepresented Iran’s lawful remedial measures in response to the U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA and Europe’s failures as “gross violations,” falsely portrayed themselves as “good-faith parties” to the deal, and dismissed Iran’s sincere efforts as “insufficient.” And all this—for the destruction of the very JCPOA they once hailed as the greatest achievement of multilateral diplomacy.
This illegal act, opposed by some Security Council members, has no international legitimacy and will not be welcomed by the global community.
Once again, I state here before this Assembly: Iran has never sought, and will never seek, to build nuclear weapons.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The Islamic Republic of Iran welcomes peace and stability. We believe the future of the region and the world must be built on cooperation, trust, and shared development. Within this framework, Iran supports the peace process between Azerbaijan and Armenia and hopes it will lead to lasting results and improved relations between the two neighbors. Iran also hopes that efforts to end the war in Ukraine will result in a fair and sustainable agreement between Russia and Ukraine.
Iran welcomes the defense pact between two brotherly Muslim countries, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, as a beginning toward a comprehensive regional security system through the cooperation of West Asia’s Muslim nations in political, security, and defense domains. Finally, Iran condemns Israel’s criminal aggression against Qatar—which led to the killing of Palestinian and Qatari nationals—and declares its solidarity with the government and people of Qatar.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
True security does not come from force but from confidence-building, mutual respect, regional integration, and multilateralism rooted in international law. On this basis, I call upon all: let us practice “listening” to one another instead of raising our voices; let us revisit the ideologies of polarization and political violence that plague not only international society but also sow discord within nations; and let us, as the common ground of all faiths and cultures, refrain from imposing on others what we would not accept for ourselves.
Let us restore and strengthen the credibility of international law and institutions, and commit to building a regional security and cooperation framework in West Asia.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
We Iranians have projected our power onto the world—not by producing and using nuclear weapons, not by killing hundreds of thousands in the 20th century, nor by committing genocide and starving the children of Gaza in the 21st; not even through ancient imperial conquests—but through a culture of compassion and the universal message of empathy from figures like Rumi, Hafez, and Saadi, who, 800 years ago, wrote:
“Human beings are members of a whole,
In creation of one essence and soul.
If one member is afflicted with pain,
Other members uneasy will remain.
If you have no sympathy for human pain,
The name of human you cannot retain.”
Those who bully by killing children do not deserve the name of human, nor will they ever be reliable partners. By relying on its ancient tradition of human compassion, Iran remains a steadfast partner for all peace-seeking nations—a friendship built not on fleeting expediency but on dignity, trust, and a shared future.
We, the steadfast people of Iran, have endured and will continue to endure lawless rebels, injustice, discrimination, and double standards with resilience. Today, with a forward-looking perspective, we are turning this historic achievement of the Iranian people into a springboard toward a hopeful future.
Let us, together, turn threats into opportunities.
Pezeshkian displays images of those killed in Iran’s 12-day war at the UN. 24 Sep 2025. Social media / WANA News Agency
