Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian addressed the U.N. General Assembly on September 24, accusing the United States and Israel of violating diplomacy by carrying out airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities during ongoing negotiations. He framed the strikes as a “grave betrayal of diplomacy” and claimed they undermined global stability.
Pezeshkian argued the U.S. attacked while Iran remained open to dialogue, and that the bombings targeted scientists, intellectuals, and civilians in addition to infrastructure. He contended the actions broke international law and damaged trust in the diplomatic system.
Iran maintains that its uranium enrichment program is for peaceful purposes, asserting it has never sought nuclear weapons. Pezeshkian reaffirmed that position and criticized European nations for backing renewed U.N. sanctions, accusing them of negotiating in “bad faith.”
The airstrikes in question took place in June and targeted three Iranian nuclear sites: Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. The U.S. employed heavy “bunker-busting” munitions in the operation known as Operation Midnight Hammer.
Pezeshkian also used his speech to condemn what he described as widespread regional aggression by Israel and U.S. support in conflicts across Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen. He appealed to Muslim nations to unite against perceived Western interventionism.
