Iranian leader vows not to 'bend at the knee' after Trump threat - USA Today
UNITED NATIONS – Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said the nation will never "bow our head or bend at the knee," vowing to resist U.S. sanctions and military pressure after President Donald Trump threatened to "annihilate" the country if a peace deal isn't reached.
Pezeshkian spoke to the United Nations General Assembly on Sept. 23, a day after Trump told the U.N. he was weighing a "big decision" on whether to escalate military attacks on Iran. The war is nearing the seven-month mark as the two sides continue to jockey over the Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil shipping route, and test each others' wills ahead of an election that could see Trump's political party lose its legislative power.
"Do I drive them into hell with no chance of survival and no hope of future greatness?" Trump said, before adding: "I believe we'll make a deal right after the election because it doesn't make sense for them not to."
Pezeshkian was defiant in the face of what he called "bullying" by Trump, while saying Tehran is open to negotiations.
"He must know that the resistance of the Iranian people will only increase in the face of sanctions, increased pressure, increased bullying," Pezeshkian said of Trump. "We will never bow our head or bend at the knee. Iran must be understood by Mr. Trump and those who seek to bully us that we are ready for dialogue and diplomacy and negotiations without accepting the language of force."
Pezeshkian's extraordinary appearance at the U.N. comes as the United States and Iran are in an active state of war. Months after he and other Iranian leaders were targeted by U.S. airstrikes, Pezeshkian – like other world leaders – is traveling through Manhattan with a Secret Service escort.
Trump has repeatedly threatened to escalate the U.S. military campaign against Iran as the conflict wears on, while also expressing optimism that a new peace deal can be reached after a previous agreement fell apart amid the ongoing battle for control of the strait. Pezeshkian's remarks came a day after U.S. and Iranian officials met for three hours on the sidelines of the U.N. gathering that takes place annually
Trump told reporters that U.S. special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner had a "very good meeting" with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. Witkoff said in a post on X that he hopes the talks "will prove constructive and promising."
Secretary of State Marco Rubio declined to characterize the talks during a New York City news conference, saying a deal would take time to reach.
"The president has a number of options available to him, including the ones he's already taken, which is to impose severe and growing economic costs. But he also has some military options upon which I won't speculate," Rubio said.
At the start of his speech, Pezeshkian held up a photo of children killed in a U.S. strike on an Iranian primary school at the start of the war.
The Pentagon has yet to release the findings of an investigation into the Feb. 28 airstrike on the Shajareh Tayyebeh school. At least 168 people died in the attack, the vast majority of them children, according to Iranian state media.
Pezeshkian said the United States and Israel violated international laws when it launched airstrikes against Tehran on Feb. 28, killing the country's former supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
"None of the international laws have been adhered to by them," he said. "This is what we’re facing."
Responding to a question from USA TODAY about the remarks at his news conference, Rubio said Iran's killing of protesters, support for violent proxy groups and pursuit of a nuclear weapon are a violation of U.N. standards and principles.
"I don't know what standing Iran has to lecture anyone on human rights or the international system when they habitually violate it," Rubio charged.
Pezeshkian denied in his speech that Iran was seeking to make bombs. He said Iran seeks to use its nuclear program for peaceful purposes.
