Iran's president calls US and Israel terrorists at UN, demands justice for Palestine
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian addressed the UN General Assembly on Wednesday, calling the US and Israel "true" terrorist states and stating there will be no peace in the Middle East without justice for Palestine. He responded directly to criticism from US President Donald Trump. Pezeshkian defended Iran against Trump's terrorism accusations, claiming the US and Israel target civilians and violate international law. He cited 85,000 civilian deaths in Gaza and displayed images, including of slain former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, to support his claims. He also said nuclear issues will not be resolved on the battlefield. The speech came a day after US envoy Steve Witkoff and Iran's foreign minister held talks on ending the war, which Trump called "very good." Pezeshkian also stated Iran does not view its Persian Gulf neighbors as rivals.