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Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian addressed the UN General Assembly on September 23, 2026, a day after President Trump threatened to "annihilate" Iran. Pezeshkian declared Iran would never "bend the knee" or "bow its head" to US pressure, said resistance would only increase under sanctions and threats, but insisted Tehran remains open to diplomacy. He held up photos of victims of US strikes on a Minab school and other sites, accused Washington of terrorism and starting the war, called Gaza a "symbol of the failure of international mechanisms," and reiterated that Iran's nuclear program is peaceful. He also warned the Strait of Hormuz would not be used to "impose insecurity" on Iran. The speech drew a walkout by a US delegation official and extensive reaction from Arab and Muslim leaders at the UNGA who focused on the US-Israel war on Iran alongside Gaza. The address came amid a broader diplomatic flashpoint following Trump's annihilation threat, with analysts questioning whether the flurry of New York diplomacy could produce any real US-Iran breakthrough.