Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has said Iran is not a terrorist state but a victim of terrorism and aggression, arguing that strengthening the country's defensive capabilities is necessary to safeguard its independence and deter attacks.
Addressing the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Wednesday, President Pezeshkian responded to accusations made against Iran by US President Donald Trump and outlined Tehran's positions on defense, nuclear energy, regional security, Palestine, international law and negotiations.
Victim of terrorism
President Pezeshkian said Iran had faced attacks in which its Leader, civilians and critical infrastructure were targeted. He said schools, sports facilities, hospitals, universities, bridges and other infrastructure had come under attack.
Referring to an attack on a sports hall in Lamerd, he said children and teenagers had been present there and that innocent people were killed. He said the attacks had involved US and Israeli weapons and argued that those responsible for terrorism were accusing Iran of being a terrorist state.
“We are not terrorists; we are victims of terrorism,” President Pezeshkian said, stressing that Iran's military actions were carried out in self-defense.
He said the United States and the Israeli regime had attacked Iran with advanced weapons and technology, while Iran had defended itself without targeting civilians. He also cited the assassination of former Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran shortly after the president assumed office, saying such actions were contrary to international law.
Defense power, national independence
President Pezeshkian said the experience of recent attacks had reinforced Iran's view that a country unable to defend itself would remain vulnerable.
He said Iran needs military power for defense, not aggression, adding that its capabilities are intended to protect the country's survival and development. He said Iran had not attacked another country for 200 years, describing its military strategy as one based on defense and deterrence.
President Pezeshkian also referred to the role of the Iranian people in defending the country, saying they had remained in the streets for seven months to protect Iran and prevent efforts to create insecurity inside the country.
“People are our power,” he said, adding that Iran should be strong enough to ensure its survival and progress, responsible enough not to use its strength to dominate others, and farsighted enough not to seek its security through insecurity in neighboring countries.
Nuclear energy, right to development
President Pezeshkian said Iran's nuclear program is intended for progress, not for the production of weapons. He described nuclear technology as part of Iran's right to development and said it could serve medical treatment, food security, industrial technology and a sustainable energy future.
He said Iran would not accept a situation in which nuclear knowledge was treated as the exclusive privilege of a few countries. The president added that Iran does not regard nuclear weapons as a source of security.
President Pezeshkian said the nuclear issue could not be resolved on the battlefield and argued that the solution was an agreement that would provide credible assurances to the international community about the peaceful nature of Iran's program while guaranteeing Iran's rights.
Regional security, Strait of Hormuz
President Pezeshkian presented regional cooperation as another pillar of Iran's security policy, saying Iran does not view neighboring countries as security rivals and wants strong neighbors.
He also addressed the Strait of Hormuz, arguing that countries should not simultaneously seek to benefit from the waterway while restricting its historical guardian from exercising freedom of navigation, including in its own waters.
He criticized the presence of hostile naval fleets and the transfer of weapons, explosives and missiles through the waterway, saying such actions could not provide lasting maritime security. He noted that freedom of navigation and the security of coastal states must be considered together.
Gaza, Palestinian issue
Turning to Palestine, President Pezeshkian described the issue as a continuing wound to the conscience of the international community and Gaza as a symbol of the failure of international mechanisms to prevent civilian suffering.
He said more than 80,000 people had been killed in Gaza and more than 100,000 displaced, describing the situation as genocide. He argued that lasting peace in West Asia would not be possible without justice for Palestinians.
President Pezeshkian said resistance would continue as long as occupation, aggression and injustice persisted. He argued that bombing, blockade and displacement could not force people to surrender their resistance.
He also said regional issues should be addressed by the countries of the region rather than becoming a pretext for wars involving distant powers. Strategic independence, he said, means that relations with external powers should not be turned into mechanisms for waging war against neighboring states.
Iran's position on war, negotiations
President Pezeshkian said Iran had never been the initiator of a war and had repeatedly demonstrated its willingness to negotiate. He said war had been imposed on Iran, but the country had shown that it would defend itself and would not fear war when protecting its territory.
At the same time, he said Iran was not avoiding negotiations in pursuit of peace. He presented dialogue and defense as complementary positions, saying Iran was prepared to negotiate while refusing to accept coercion.
Double standards, international law
President Pezeshkian devoted part of his address to double standards in the international system. He contrasted scrutiny of Iran's nuclear activities with Israel's possession of nuclear weapons and its non-membership in the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).
He argued that international law and human rights should not be applied according to the interests of powerful states. He argued that sanctions and other measures can ultimately affect poor people, patients and other civilians.
“Human rights are not a tool of geopolitical competition,” he said, calling instead for equal rights and responsibilities.
President Pezeshkian warned that if international law is enforced only when it serves powerful countries, more states could conclude that they must rely solely on their own power for security, creating a more dangerous world.
Call for different international order
President Pezeshkian said the international system should not return to a world dominated by force. Military power, he argued, should not replace legitimacy; sanctions should not replace diplomacy; assassination should not replace politics; and war should not replace dialogue.
He said Iran was extending a hand of cooperation to the world and calling for peace and justice from a position of confidence rather than weakness. He argued that countries in the region would either build security together or collectively endure insecurity.
He called for an international order based on equality among nations, justice, fairness and the shared will of humanity, stressing that peace and justice must apply to all.
Message to Trump
In his closing remarks, President Pezeshkian criticized the previous day's remarks by the US president, describing them as reflecting a logic of coercion and saying they were inconsistent with the UN Charter.
He said threats would make Iranians more united and strengthen their resolve. At the same time, he reiterated Iran's readiness for dialogue, while making clear that Tehran would not accept the language of force.
He concluded by calling for recognition that Iran would not bow to threats and would continue to defend its independence, while seeking a future based on security, justice, dignity and equal rights for nations.