Watch: Pezeshkian says Iran would not ‘bend the knee’ to US threats in UN speech

Watch: Pezeshkian says Iran would not ‘bend the knee’ to US threats in UN speech

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday that Tehran will never "bow its head" to US threats but is open to diplomacy, a day after President Donald Trump threatened to "annihilate" the Islamic Republic.

Addressing Trump directly, Pezeshkian said the US leader "must know that the resistance of the Iranian people will only increase in the face of sanctions, increased pressure, increased bullying. We will never bow our head[s] or bend at the knee". 

Pezeshkian also accused the US and Israel of hypocrisy for trying to constrain Iran’s nuclear programme while allowing Israel to maintain a nuclear arsenal. Israel does not admit to having nuclear weapons, but it is widely believed to have them.

“There are nuclear bombs in Israel, yet inspectors are in Iran.”

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told the UN General Assembly that Tehran will never “bow its head” to US threats but is open to diplomacy, a day after Donald Trump threatened to “annihilate” Iran pic.twitter.com/HitaaVzswS

— Middle East Eye (@MiddleEastEye) September 24, 2026