Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian departed for New York on Tuesday to attend the UN General Assembly, vowing to “firmly defend” his country’s positions on the world stage.
“We emerged with our heads held high, and this is a source of dignity and pride for all of us. Therefore, we will firmly defend our positions in international forums,” he said before leaving Iran, according to footage aired by state television.
The Iranian leader is scheduled to address the UN gathering on Wednesday.
“We will make the best possible use of this opportunity to convey Iran’s plight to the international community. We will firmly tell our adversaries that, despite all the unfairness and injustices, the Iranian people have stood their ground,” Pezeshkian said.
His trip marks the first time the highest-ranking Iranian official will set foot on American soil since the Middle East war broke out in late February, triggered by US-Israeli strikes on Iran.
Washington has cleared UN visit approvals for part of the Iranian delegation despite the ongoing conflict, though the group will face movement restrictions, the US State Department said.
However, Pezeshkian’s communications team was denied visas and barred from making the trip. Iranian presidential spokesman Habibollah Abbassi criticised the move as “hostile,” according to local media reports.
At the centre of the Tehran-Washington standoff remains the contested reopening of the strategic Strait of Hormuz. Traffic through the corridor — which handled about a fifth of global hydrocarbon shipments before the war — has been severely disrupted, with Iran firing on commercial vessels and insisting on approving passage rights.
In response, the US has maintained a counterblockade of Iranian ports while ratcheting up economic pressure on Tehran.
READ ALSO:
- Trump Launches “Trump TV” as White House Bars CNN, MS NOW, Politico Over Coverage Dispute
- “Not A Threat, But A Promise” — IPOB Renews 2027 Election Boycott Threat Over Kanu
- Peter Mbah Appoints Nollywood Actress Rachael Okonkwo, 100 Others As Special Advisers, Aides
- Fuel Price: FG Summons Refiners, Marketers Over ₦1,450 Petrol
- Nigerian, Ghanaian-trained teachers barred from UK’s QTS route
