Iran accuses US and Israel of terrorism at UN, cites Gaza failure

Iranian President Masud Pezeshkian accused the United States and Israel of terrorism at the UN General Assembly on Wednesday, marking the first address by a leader of a nation at war with Washington. He framed Iran as a victim of foreign aggression. Pezeshkian directly responded to President Donald Trump's prior "terrorist" label, asserting, "We are not terrorists; we are victims of terrorism." He displayed images of slain children and Iran's supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, to support his claims. The sole US delegate walked out during the speech. He also defended Iran's nuclear program as civilian, criticized international "double standards" favoring Israel, and called Gaza's crisis a "symbol of the failure of international mechanisms." His remarks followed Trump's threat to "annihilate" Iran if no deal is reached.