Iran's President Vows No Surrender to US Pressure at UN Assembly

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told the UN General Assembly on Wednesday that Tehran will never surrender to US pressure, condemning what he called a "bullying mentality" from Washington, one day after President Donald Trump threatened to "annihilate" Iran from the same podium. The dueling speeches bookended the first indirect US-Iran talks in months, which yielded no public concessions. A senior Iranian official said Tehran is reviewing Washington's response to proposals prioritizing the lifting of a naval blockade and reopening the Strait of Hormuz, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio noted military options remain. Iran's foreign minister held two-hour mediated talks with US envoys via Qatar, demanding an end to the war, a halt to US aggression, and release of frozen assets. Hardliner media criticized the contact, and Iran threatened to disable neighboring airports if they block Iranian flights.