World News
Iran's president addresses UN assembly during active war with the United States
Masoud Pezeshkian signaled openness to talks despite fierce rhetoric and walkouts following threats from Donald Trump.
The short version
- Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian addressed the United Nations General Assembly in New York while his country is actively at war with the United States.[NPR]
- Pezeshkian denounced American aggression, displayed a portrait of slain supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and emphasized that Iran remains open to diplomacy without accepting threats of force.[NPR]
- U.S. officials staged a walkout during the address, coming a day after President Donald Trump publicly weighed either reaching an accord or rapidly annihilating the Islamic Republic.[CNBC · NPR · Al Jazeera · The Guardian]
- Diplomats from both nations recently held sideline talks, though significant gaps remain over conditions including sanctions, naval blockades, and a return to earlier ceasefire frameworks.[CNBC · NPR · NBC News]
Key facts
- Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian spoke directly to the U.N. General Assembly in New York amid ongoing warfare between Iran and the United States.[CNBC · NPR]
- U.S. President Donald Trump told the assembly he was deciding whether to rapidly annihilate the Islamic Republic or strike a deal.[CNBC · NPR]
- During his remarks, Pezeshkian displayed an image of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who died during initial strikes on Feb. 28.[NPR]
- Members of the U.S. delegation exited the hall as Pezeshkian began his speech.[Al Jazeera · The Guardian]
- Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said Qatar mediated exchanges where Tehran demanded an end to hostilities, the lifting of a naval blockade, and access to frozen assets.[NPR]
- Pezeshkian later told journalists that Tehran wants Washington to rejoin a temporary ceasefire memorandum of understanding before the upcoming midterms.[NBC News]
What remains uncertain
- The length of sideline U.S.-Iran talks is contested; U.S. accounts reported the meeting lasted three hours, while an Iranian spokesman said it lasted about two hours.[CNBC · NPR]
- Casualty figures from the missile strike on a Minab school remain inconsistent across sources, and the Pentagon has not publicly released formal conclusions regarding its responsibility.[CNBC]
Sources
Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.
- Iran's president gives a rare wartime speech at the U.N.NPR - Top News
- Iran's president blames U.S., Israel for global instability in defiant UN speechCNBC
- Iran’s president hits out at ‘bully’ Trump in UN speech but signals willingness to talkThe Guardian - World
- Iran’s president says Tehran wants a deal with U.S. before midterm electionsNBC News - Top Stories
- Iran’s Pezeshkian slams ‘terrorist’ US but extols diplomacy in UN speechAl Jazeera