Pezeshkian tells UN Iran is victim of US terrorism, defends Hormuz stance

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told the UN General Assembly on Wednesday that the US and Israel attacked Iran, rejecting the terrorism label and vowing Tehran will not allow the Strait of Hormuz to be used for aggression. Pezeshkian said Iran acted only in self-defense, citing a UN finding of possible US war crimes in a February strike on a Minab school. He insisted Iran seeks no nuclear weapons but will not surrender peaceful nuclear technology, and criticized sanctions as a double standard while Israel holds atomic arms. He stated Iran remains open to dialogue without accepting the "language of force," warning that US threats unite the Iranian nation. Pezeshkian also linked lasting West Asian peace to justice for Palestine.