Iran's President Tells UN Tehran Will Not "Bow Its Head" to U.S. Threats

By garrisonvance // 2026-09-25

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Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday that Tehran will never "bow its head" to U.S. threats but remains open to diplomacy. Pezeshkian spoke a day after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to "annihilate" the Islamic Republic. [1][2] Addressing Trump directly, Pezeshkian said the U.S. leader "must know that the resistance of the Iranian people will only increase in the face of sanctions, increased pressure, increased bullying," according to the speech. "We will never bow our head[s] or bend at the knee," he stated. [3][2] The remarks came as the 81st UN General Assembly opened in New York amid stalled diplomatic efforts to resolve the nearly seven-month war that began when Israel and the U.S. attacked Iran in February, according to officials. [4][3]

Background: War, Casualties and UN Findings

Israel and the U.S. attacked Iran in February amid negotiations over its nuclear program. The war has continued with two ceasefires collapsing, according to the report. The conflict has drawn Arab Gulf states into the fighting, as well as Yemen and Lebanon. [3] Pezeshkian began his speech holding a photo of Iran's 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was assassinated on Feb. 28 in the opening salvo of the U.S.-Israeli attack, according to the speech. He also shared photographs of Iranian children killed by U.S. air strikes and their graves. [3][5] A UN fact-finding mission said earlier this month there were "reasonable grounds" to believe strikes on the Minab elementary school, which killed at least 150 people including approximately 120 children, amounted to war crimes, the report stated. A U.S. strike that discharged thousands of tungsten pellets also targeted a sports complex in the southern Iranian city of Lamerd. [3][5]

Nuclear Program Dispute

Pezeshkian reaffirmed Tehran's denial that it is seeking a nuclear weapon but said Iran will not give up a civilian nuclear program, according to his speech. "We say it clearly: no nuclear weapons and no limitations to peaceful nuclear technology," he said. [6][2] He accused the U.S. and Israel of hypocrisy for trying to constrain Iran's nuclear program while allowing Israel to maintain an undeclared arsenal. "Atomic and nuclear bombs are in the hands of the Israeli regime, but the inspectors are requested to come to Iran," Pezeshkian said. "The nuclear weapon is in Israel, but the inspectors are in Iran." [6][2] The Trump administration has claimed Tehran was close to developing a nuclear weapon, despite boasting that it had destroyed Iran's nuclear program in June 2025 strikes, the report stated. Iran halted cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency in 2025, demanding security guarantees and recognition of its uranium enrichment rights. [3][7][8]

Military, Protests and Strait of Hormuz

Pezeshkian said Iran must maintain a "powerful" military for defense and deterrence, adding that Iran does not seek hegemony, according to his remarks. "Our defensive systems have been built so that no one can think that the bombing of Iranian cities can go unanswered," he said. [3] He said the U.S. and Israel were behind protests in Iran, while pro-government demonstrators supported the country, the speech indicated. "The people of Iran have been in the street demonstrating in support of their homeland," Pezeshkian said, adding that demonstrators were on guard for those "equipped, armed and trained by America and Israel to cause insecurity in our country." [3] U.S. and Iranian officials met Tuesday on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. Iranian state media framed the meeting as direct engagement, and Trump's statements appeared to confirm that, while the U.S. later reframed the meeting as indirect, officials said. [3][9] Iran submitted terms to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, including immediate release of $24 billion in frozen funds and an end to Saudi Arabia's blockade of Houthi-controlled territory, an Iranian official told AFP. The June ceasefire extension that Iran and the U.S. sealed broke down over the summer in part over Iran's attempt to solidify its control over the Strait of Hormuz. [1][10]

Diplomatic Outlook

Qatar and the UAE said earlier this week that Iran needed to be engaged and called for a new security framework, according to officials. Regional governments have stepped up diplomatic efforts, with France welcoming Pakistan's mediation efforts between Iran and the U.S. [3][11] The U.S. and Iran have given differing accounts of their Tuesday meeting, leaving the status of diplomacy unclear, the report stated. No breakthrough was reported from the meeting mediated by Qatar and involving Iran's foreign minister and Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff. [3][9] The mixed signals reflect a broader pattern in the conflict, where both sides have alternated between threats and diplomatic gestures while violence continues across the region. [3][9]

References

Cassie B. "Iran halts UN nuclear inspections after US Israeli strikes demands security guarantees". NaturalNews.com. June 27, 2025.
Kevin Hughes. "Iran suspends UN nuclear inspections demands security guarantees after US Israeli strikes". NaturalNews.com. October 15, 2025.
Middle East Eye. "UN General Assembly 2026: US-Israeli war on Iran to take center stage". September 21, 2026.
Middle East Eye. "Watch: Pezeshkian says Iran would not 'bend the knee' to US threats in UN speech". September 24, 2026.
Middle East Eye. "'We will never bow our head': Iran's president strikes defiant tone in UN speech". September 23, 2026.
ZeroHedge. "Pezeshkian Lashes Out In UN Speech: The Nuclear Bombs Are In Israel, But Inspectors Sent To Iran". September 23, 2026.
Middle East Eye. "Iran's Pezeshkian holds up photos of Minab school victims during UN speech". September 23, 2026.
BBC. "Iran's president tells Trump it will never 'bend the knee'". September 23, 2026.
Middle East Eye. "Live: Iran denounces US-Israel attacks as regional tensions rise". September 22, 2026.
Middle East Eye. "Iran and US held direct UN talks, with Islamic Republic's terms to reopen Hormuz hardening". September 22, 2026.
BBC. "US and Iran hold first talks since June after Trump's 'annihilation' threat". September 23, 2026.

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