Iran President calls out Trump by name at UN, says US cannot ‘bully’ a nation it does not understand

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian Wednesday directly called out US President Donald Trump at the United Nations, accusing Washington of seeking to “bully” a country it does not understand and pushing back against the American leader’s threat to “annihilate” the Islamic Republic if Tehran fails to reach an agreement with the United States.

Addressing the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York a day after Trump’s speech, Pezeshkian sought to portray Iran as a country that would not submit to military or economic pressure. His remarks came against the backdrop of the nearly seven-month conflict involving Iran and the United States and renewed diplomatic contacts between the two sides in New York.

Pezeshkian hits back

Pezeshkian’s speech was a direct response to Trump’s portrayal of Iran as a destabilising power in the Middle East. Trump had told the General Assembly Tuesday that Iran was once the “bully of the Middle East” but was “the bully no more”, while defending the US military campaign against Tehran.

The Iranian President rejected Washington’s assessment of his country, arguing that the United States did not understand Iran or its people well enough to believe that pressure and military threats could force it into submission.

Pezeshkian maintained that Iran would defend its sovereignty and national interests and accused Washington of trying to dictate terms through military and economic pressure. Tehran has consistently maintained that it will negotiate only if talks take place without coercion or threats.

His remarks followed a particularly stark warning from Trump, who had presented Iran with what he described as a choice between reaching an agreement that would allow the country to rebuild or facing further military action.

“I have a big decision to make,” Trump had told the UNGA. He asked whether an agreement would be reached that allowed Iran to rebuild or whether he would “annihilate the Islamic Republic” and prevent it from threatening other countries again.

War shadows UN gathering

The confrontation between the two presidents has placed the Iran conflict at the centre of this year’s General Assembly.

During Trump’s speech Tuesday, members of the Iranian delegation walked out as the US President began discussing the military campaign against Iran. Pezeshkian and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi were not in the General Assembly hall at the time.

Trump also called on other countries to economically isolate Iran until Tehran stopped attacks on commercial shipping, abandoned what Washington describes as its nuclear weapons ambitions and ended its support for armed groups in the region.

Iran insists that its nuclear programme is intended for peaceful purposes and has rejected US accusations that it is seeking a nuclear weapon.

The conflict has also intensified concerns over shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for global oil and gas supplies. Disruptions in the region have contributed to volatility in international energy markets and added urgency to diplomatic efforts aimed at ending the fighting.

Talks continue behind scenes

Despite the sharp rhetoric from both presidents, diplomatic contacts between Washington and Tehran have resumed on the sidelines of the General Assembly.

Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi and US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner communicated through mediators in New York, marking the first such contacts in months. Neither side has announced a breakthrough, but the exchanges have opened a diplomatic channel at a time when their leaders are publicly trading threats.

Trump said Tuesday that US and Iranian representatives had held talks for about three hours and described the discussions as “very good”, although he provided few details. He also said another meeting was expected.

The US President suggested that an agreement could eventually be reached, saying he believed Tehran would ultimately see a deal as being in its interest. That message contrasted sharply with his warning from the UN podium that the alternative could be further devastating military action.

Pezeshkian, meanwhile, travelled to New York saying he would “firmly defend” Iran’s position before the international community. Before leaving Tehran, he said Iran had withstood pressure and would use the UN gathering to present its case to world leaders.

The competing speeches have highlighted the two tracks now defining US-Iran relations — an increasingly hostile public confrontation alongside tentative diplomatic efforts to find a way out of the conflict.