Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian delivered a speech at the UN General Assembly, accusing the United States and Israel of illegal attacks against Iranian civilians while the U.S. delegation walked out in protest. He emphasized Iran’s stance that it will not negotiate under threat, telling Trump specifically, "Yes they did hit us, but we did not bend the knee." Pezeshkian also asserted Iran's right to develop nuclear technology and criticized Israel for possessing atomic weapons without international inspection.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-23,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
US President Donald Trump met with Chinese President Xi Jinping, where Xi pressed Trump to adopt Beijing's stance against Taiwan independence, which Taiwan rejected outright. Meanwhile, Taiwan is crucial for global tech and economy due to its leading semiconductor production; TSMC alone produces the majority of advanced chips that power smartphones, AI systems, and more. As Stanford Hoover fellow Eyck Freymann noted, economic disruption from a conflict over Taiwan would be severe.
In unrelated developments, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian met with US media at the UN General Assembly, where he denied Iran's nuclear ambitions while offering to dilute its enriched uranium and allow inspections under international law. He also blamed Washington for ongoing conflicts in the Middle East. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) estimates that Iran has over 440 kilograms of uranium enriched up to 60%, raising concerns despite Pezeshkian's denials.
Taiwan's representative, Ambassador Alexander Yui, clarified during an interview on CBS’s "Face the Nation" that while Taiwan was discussed between Trump and Xi, it wasn't a major focus. He emphasized there has been no change in US policy towards Taiwan amid recent tensions with China.
Written for “Taiwan Iran Us Relations Midterms” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 386 other(s) covering the same event.
In his UN General Assembly speech, Iran's president also accused the US and Israel of illegal attacks on civilians as the US delegation walked out.
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delegation → accuse → civilians
He closed with a direct message to Trump: "Yes they did hit us, but we did not bend the knee."
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we → close → knee
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told the UN General Assembly on Wednesday that Iran had been the victim of terrorism and not its perpetrator, in an address that pushed back against US President Donald Trump's threat a day earlier to "annihilate" the Islamic Republic.
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that → tell → Republic
Pezeshkian's speech marked a striking instance of a foreign leader addressing the world body while their country is at war with the host nation.
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country → mark → nation
He opened by holding up photographs of children killed in a missile strike on the Shajarat al-Tayyiba school in Minab on the first day of the war, which resulted in the deaths of 156 people, and of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in the same opening salvo.
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who → open → salvo
He also referenced a US strike on a sports hall the same day.
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He → reference → hall
"The US president described us as terrorists.
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president → describe → terrorists
We have been the victims of terrorism," Pezeshkian said.
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Pezeshkian → say → terrorism
"We only seek to live independently.
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We → seek → ?
Those who are committing terrorism and committing crimes, are they the protectors of peace and stability?"
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they → commit → peace
He accused the US and Israel of illegal attacks on Iranian civilians and infrastructure, saying Iran sought military capability solely for self-defence and had no intention of attacking other states.
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Iran → accuse → states
The US delegation left the chamber as he spoke.
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he → leave → chamber
'We did not bend the knee'
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We → bend → knee
Pezeshkian said Iran would not accept that "nuclear knowledge should be the exclusive preserve of a few countries" and described the dispute over its nuclear programme as having no military solution.
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knowledge → say → solution
Pezeshkian addressed Israel directly, saying "The atomic bomb is in Israel, but the inspectors are in Iran" and "Israel kills, but Iran is sanctioned."
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Iran → address → Iran
On the Strait of Hormuz, he said Iran would not allow its right to navigation "even in our own waters" to be taken away.
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right → say → waters
Addressing the broader Middle East region, he said, "No one in this region will enjoy security alone.
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one → address → security
Either we will build security together, or we will endure insecurity together."
He closed with a direct message to Trump.
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He → build → Trump
"It 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," he said.
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he → understand → force
"Yes they did hit us, but we did not bend the knee."
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we → hit → knee
He claimed Iran had not struck civilian populations, a statement contradicted by documented deaths among mariners and civilians in Iranian attacks across the region since the war began.
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war → claim → region
US and Israeli officials blasted the speech, saying that it was hypocritical for the Islamic Republic to present itself as the victims of the world.
“I don’t know what standing Iran has to lecture anyone on human rights or the international system when they habitually violate it," US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters after Pezeshkian's address.
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Rubio → blast → address
On Tuesday, Trump had told the same General Assembly, "Will a deal be made with Iran... or do I annihilate the Islamic Republic and do it quickly?"
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I → tell → it
After the speech, he told reporters a meeting between his envoys and Iranian counterparts had been "a very good meeting," adding the Iranian side was "not the highest level, but it's something."
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it → tell → envoys
Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei dismissed the talks, saying there had been "nothing new" in the exchange.
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Baghaei → dismiss → exchange
Rubio echoed that sentiment Wednesday, saying that “it was a continuation of conversations that have occurred in the past.”
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that → echo → past
“If there’s an opportunity to exchange ideas and messages, we will.
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we → ’ → ideas
And that’s what largely yesterday was, it was positive in that regard," he said.
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he → ’ → regard
"But ultimately, I don’t want to mischaracterise this as a major breakthrough."
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I → want → breakthrough
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