Iran President sends US defiant message in UN speech over potential talks

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian delivering a defiant speech at the UN General Assembly on Sept 23 while at the same time leaving the door open for negotiations with the US.

NEW YORK – Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said his country would not allow freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz while sanctions and a US blockade remain in place, underscoring the difficulty in reaching a peace deal with Washington despite efforts to revive talks this week.

The Islamic republic “cannot accept that everyone benefits from the waterway while, at the same time, the historic guardian of that waterway is deprived because of the oppressive sanctions”, he said in an address to the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Sept 23.

Iran is ready to resume talks about ending the near seven-month conflict with the US but will not respond to threats, he added.

While the country is not seeking to build an atomic weapon, it will not give up the right to develop nuclear technology for economic purposes, he said.  

Pezeshkian’s address laid out a number of conditions before any meaningful talks with the US can resume, undermining tentative signs of diplomatic progress that emerged this week in New York. 

US President Donald Trump said on Sept 22 that his officials had “very good” talks with Iranian envoys on the sidelines of the UN summit, although he used his high-profile speech at the forum to warn that he would “annihilate” Iran unless Tehran strikes a deal to end the conflict.

“This is what Trump and others that want to bully us have to comprehend: We are ready for dialogue, but they must understand we won’t accept the language of force,” Pezeshkian said. 

Iran was represented in talks in New York by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who outlined Tehran’s “firm positions” on reopening the Strait of Hormuz, according to state media.

Those conditions include the US immediately lifting a naval blockade, unfreezing Iranian assets and ending the war “on all fronts”, IRIB News reported, an apparent reference to Israel’s campaign against Iran-backed Hezbollah militants in Lebanon.

As at Sept 23, US military forces had redirected 115 commercial vessels as part of enforcement of the “steel wall blockade”, US Central Command said in a statement posted on social media. 

Brent Crude held gains early on Sept 24 to trade near US$103 a barrel after jumping almost 4 per cent in the previous session. 

The US and Israel started the war against Iran in late February, with the stated aim being to prevent Tehran from developing a nuclear weapon.

The conflict has roiled the Middle East and energy markets and resulted in a months-long stand-off, with traffic severely restricted through Hormuz.

At the same time, little is known about the present state of Iran’s atomic activities.

Questions surrounding the Islamic republic’s nuclear programme won’t be “resolved on the battlefield”, Pezeshkian said.

Asked about Iranian criticism of Trump’s assertive UN speech, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused Tehran of undermining the international system by supporting militant groups in the Middle East. 

“I don’t know what standing Iran has to lecture anyone on human rights or the international system when they habitually violate it,” Rubio told reporters in New York.

“They violate the sovereignty of every one of their neighbours by sponsoring terrorist organisations that reside within the borders of those countries. They slaughter their own people. They violate rules and sanctions that were imposed by the international community.”

The Iranian President’s appearance in New York put him in the unusual position of addressing foreign leaders on US soil while the Islamic republic is at war with Washington, giving Tehran a high-profile platform to present its side of the conflict.

Pezeshkian is also due to hold bilateral meetings with other leaders in New York.

US-Iran talks have effectively been on hold since June, when a memorandum of understanding that would have reopened the Strait of Hormuz quickly collapsed.

On Sept 23, Rubio characterised the talks as positive and a “continuation” of previous discussions.

“I don’t want to mischaracterise this as a major breakthrough, but at the same time, I think it was significant that at least there was a conversation,” he said. 

Iran has been in talks with Oman on an arrangement for the waterway, a critical transit point for global energy supplies. One sticking point is Tehran’s push to charge ships fees, an idea opposed by the US and Gulf countries.

Iran’s nuclear programme is another central issue in any potential negotiation. Tehran says its nuclear activities are peaceful, while Washington has sought restrictions on the programme as part of a broader agreement. BLOOMBERG