Updated

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian delivered a defiant speech at the UN General Assembly, declaring Iran will never 'bend the knee,' days after US President Donald Trump threatened to 'annihilate' Iran if a peace deal is not reached. The US and Iran held their first direct talks since June, when a ceasefire collapsed and the two sides resumed intermittent strikes; Washington also allowed Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to enter New York for the UN gathering. Oil prices rose above $100 a barrel and shares fell as the rhetorical exchange rattled markets. Separately, an Israeli official was quoted saying renewed strikes on Iran are 'only a matter of time,' with reports that Tehran is fortifying nuclear sites in anticipation, while Lebanon's prime minister told Pezeshkian, on the sidelines of the UN, that Lebanon does not want to be 'an arena for others' fights,' underscoring regional anxiety over the ongoing US-Israel-Iran confrontation.