Pezeshkian refuses to surrender to American and Israeli pressure at the United Nations

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, through the United Nations platform, escalated his rhetoric against US President Donald Trump, saying that his country “will not kneel” and “will never surrender” under American and Israeli pressure.

The high-level meetings of the eighty-first annual session of the United Nations General Assembly marked the first time in the international organization's 81-year history that a head of state at war with the United States set foot in New York to deliver a speech before the assembly, knowing that he had been running his country's affairs for seven months from an unknown location due to American and Israeli air strikes.

Since his arrival in New York, Pezeshkian has been under the protection of the Secret Service, in accordance with American protocol, and has been traveling through the streets of Manhattan in convoys of SUVs, in addition to holding an intense series of diplomatic meetings.

As Pezeshkian took to the podium to deliver his speech, which he began by noting the civilian casualties resulting from the war, and accusing the United States and Israel of targeting Iranian civilian infrastructure in violation of international law, the only American diplomat in the General Assembly hall withdrew.

Pezeshkian confirmed that Iranians have been demonstrating “every night” over the past seven months in support of their country, referring to the night marches that pro-regime extremists have been carrying out since the beginning of the war.

Pezeshkian also uploaded pictures of former Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who was assassinated on the first day of the American and Israeli raids on February 28 of last year. He also uploaded a photo of Iranian schoolchildren who were killed on the same day in separate raids. He portrayed his country as a “victim of the American-Israeli aggression,” saying: “Iran must be strong to avoid the threat, and to avoid threatening its future.” He added: “Our defense systems were built so that no one could believe that the bombing of Iranian cities would go unanswered.”

Accusing Washington of “terrorism” for assassinating Khamenei, he said that Trump “must know that the Iranian people’s resistance will increase in the face of sanctions, increasing pressure, and intimidation.” We will never bow down and we will never surrender.”

He insisted that Tehran would not allow the use of the Strait of Hormuz, which it has blockaded intermittently since the beginning of the war. Which caused global energy prices to rise, leading to an aggression against his country. He said: “We cannot allow some people to freely access this waterway and advance their interests through it, while at the same time using it to impose their aggression on us.”

He also claimed that Iran does not want to possess a nuclear weapon, but will not accept any restrictions on its civilian nuclear program, recording growing international doubts about this program, especially after Iran has enriched uranium in much larger quantities and to levels much higher than the rates accepted for peaceful uses of nuclear energy.

“For our country, peaceful nuclear technology is an integral part of our progress,” Pezeshkian said. He reiterated Iran's position calling for the withdrawal of American forces from the Middle East. He said: “Our region’s issues must be resolved within the region, by its countries, without becoming tools in the hands of external forces.”

Pezeshkian criticized Israel for its attacks on Iran. He hinted at the existence of double standards among the international community, saying that “Israel kills, while Iran... is subject to sanctions.” He considered it “a true tragedy that might arouse ridicule from anyone who hears it, at best.”

In response to Trump’s words 24 hours ago, Pezeshkian said: “We will not bow down and we will not submit. We are ready for dialogue, diplomacy and negotiations, but we will never accept the language of force,” stressing that his country “will not be forced to surrender.”

Trump meetings

Before that, Trump discussed the situation in the Middle East, especially the war with Iran, with a number of Arab and Muslim leaders and senior officials in New York, while Iranian officials downplayed the recent talks with their American counterparts, who stressed the need to settle all current problems with the regime in Tehran. From stopping its threats against maritime navigation and neighboring countries, to addressing the files of the nuclear program and ballistic missiles and the groups loyal to them in Iraq, Yemen and Lebanon.

Trump's meeting came on the sidelines of the eighty-first annual session of the United Nations General Assembly shortly after he issued a sharp warning to Iran that he must make a "big decision" after the midterm congressional elections on November 3, if the Iranian regime does not respond to American demands in a way that removes any doubts about the possibility of obtaining a nuclear weapon, and stops its attacks against neighboring countries and against commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz, in addition to stopping support for groups loyal to it, including in Yemen, where The Houthi group threatens the security of neighboring countries and navigation in Bab al-Mandab and the Red Sea, as well as in Lebanon, where Hezbollah acts as a “spearhead” in direct confrontation with Israel, in addition to the militias that destabilize Iraq.

Reports indicate that the Trump administration has become convinced of the necessity of rejecting Iranian demands to “stop the war on all fronts.” Because “it only means protecting its agents from the enormous pressures it is currently exposed to.”

With Arabs and Muslims

Participating in the meeting with the US President were King Abdullah II bin Al Hussein, the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Syrian Ahmed Al Sharaa, Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al Zaidi, Lebanese Nawaf Salam and Egyptian Mustafa Madbouly, Kuwaiti Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al Hamad Al Sabah, Saudi Foreign Ministers Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, Bahraini Abdul Latif Al Zayani, and Jordanian Ayman. Al-Safadi, and the Omani Ambassador Talal bin Suleiman bin Habib Al-Rahbi.

In his speech to the General Assembly, Trump declared that he was “faced with a fateful” and “major decision” if he did not reach an agreement with Iran.

Good meeting

Despite the public threat to “destroy” the Iranian regime, Trump announced that American officials, including Trump’s son-in-law Jade Kushner and his Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, met with Iranian negotiators, including Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, on Tuesday, for three hours at the headquarters of the Qatari mission to the international organization, according to what one of the diplomats revealed to Asharq Al-Awsat. “It was a very good meeting,” he said.

Witkoff said that the talks were held through mediators who moved between the two teams, expressing his hope that “this effort will prove to be constructive and promising.”

Rubio

The meeting was preceded by a statement by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in which he said that Trump was open to meeting with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, who arrived in New York before Trump returned to Washington, DC, in preparation for receiving Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is coming to the United States on a state visit. Rubio explained, “This is a president who is keen to meet with anyone more often than not; Because he believes in the importance of communicating with people to solve problems. “This does not necessarily mean agreeing with all opinions, but it is extremely important.”

On the other hand, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ismail Baghaei downplayed the talks with the American side, calling on Washington to end its blockade of Iranian ports and release the frozen assets. “This was not new,” he said.

Fronts and militias

Baghaei confirmed that Tehran conveyed conditions, including ending the war on all fronts and stopping American “aggressive actions.”

However, in recent days, American officials have rejected the Iranian regime’s demands to stop the war on all fronts, considering that this is an attempt to protect groups such as the Houthi group in Yemen, the Popular Mobilization Forces, the Hezbollah Brigades, and other pro-Iranian militias in Iraq, and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Iranian officials explained to Reuters that the meeting referred to by some media outlets between Araghchi and Witkoff “was not direct, but rather took place through a Qatari mediator,” believed to be the Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani.

The first shuttle talks between the United States and Iran in months raised hopes, on Wednesday, that progress could be made towards ending the war in the Middle East, although neither side announced any change in its positions.

Since diplomatic negotiations stopped last July, the two sides have repeatedly exchanged fire, but Trump refrained from resuming strikes completely after receiving advice from his military commanders that they were running out of ammunition. This is something Trump vehemently denied.

The memorandum of understanding reached by the Americans and Iranians collapsed months ago due to the emergence of sharp disagreements over the rules of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas passed before the war.

Despite the almost daily attacks on oil tankers, shipping traffic through the strait has gradually increased in recent weeks. Oil producers paid shipping companies fees of up to a quarter of the value of the shipment in exchange for turning off transponders, navigating the strait, and transferring crude oil to other ships outside it.

However, the turmoil continues to cast a shadow over global energy markets. The risk of further unrest has increased since the Iranian-backed Houthis resumed their threats to the Bab al-Mandab Strait and their attacks on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

US President Donald Trump personally receives his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, at Joint Base Andrews on Wednesday evening. On Thursday morning, attention turns to the White House, where exceptional military ceremonies and a remarkable protocol welcome are held for the Chinese President, in the first state visit by a Chinese president to Washington in more than a decade.

On the surface, the visit appears to be a celebration of improved relations between the world's two largest economic powers, but behind the flags, military parades and state banquet it hides a more difficult test. Can Trump and Xi transform the fragile truce that halted the escalation of their trade war into a more stable formula, or will disputes over rare earths, Taiwan, artificial intelligence, and Iran quickly reveal the limits of the personal relationship on which they are both betting?

Trump is scheduled to deviate from the usual protocol by heading personally, on Wednesday, to the Andrews base to receive Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan. The official program begins, Thursday, with a reception ceremony at the White House in which 479 soldiers from various branches of the armed forces participate, and includes the playing of the two anthems, two speeches by the two leaders, and a military parade, before an air show in which a B-2 bomber and four F-22 fighters participate.

The ceremony will be followed by official talks between the two leaders, while Trump will host a state banquet for his guest on Thursday evening, and the program will conclude on Friday with another meeting and a joint visit to the National Archives.

Stabilize and de-escalate

But behind the ovation, the two leaders enter the negotiating room with different goals. President Trump wants to extend the trade truce, ensure the flow of rare earths, increase Chinese purchases of American agricultural products and aircraft, and obtain Beijing’s cooperation regarding Iran. As for Chinese President Xi, he wants a longer trade truce, easing some US restrictions on technology and investment, and ensuring that Washington does not repeatedly use tariffs to pressure the Chinese economy, in addition to making progress on the most sensitive issue for Beijing, which is Taiwan.

That's why the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) is lowering expectations. Edgard Kagan, the former US ambassador to Malaysia and advisor to the center, believes that the visit will likely be heavy on appearances and symbolism and light on substantive progress, and that the two leaders have begun to view their direct meetings as a necessary tool to maintain the stability of the relationship. China needs this calm to focus on its economic challenges, while Trump wants to avoid igniting a new trade confrontation at a time when Washington is engaged in an extended confrontation with Iran and the midterm elections are approaching in November.

Minerals change the pressure balance

The summit differs from the beginning of Trump's second term in a fundamental point. Beijing has proven that it, in turn, possesses economic tools capable of harming the United States. China controls about 70 percent of the world's rare earth mining, more than 85 percent of its refining capabilities, and about 90 percent of the production of alloys and associated magnets. When restrictions were imposed on the exports of some of them, their repercussions appeared on American industries extending from cars and chips to defense industries.

Thus, the negotiation equation changed from a question about how Trump can use tariffs and the American market to pressure China, to a more complex question: To what extent can each party pressure the other before the cost begins to affect its economic interests?

On the trade side, Washington wants to accelerate Chinese purchases of soybeans, wheat, and meat, and make progress on the commitment to purchase 200 Boeing aircraft, in addition to ensuring the flow of vital minerals. The most important disagreement revolves around the duration of the trade truce, as Beijing wants to extend it for two years, while the American side offered only six months, indicating that Washington does not want to give up the tariff card for a long period.

In return, Beijing wants to ease duties on some of its exports, reduce restrictions on advanced technology, and open more space for Chinese investments in electric cars, batteries, and renewable energy.

Iran and Taiwan

Iran occupies a strong space on the agenda. China has extensive economic relations with Tehran, while Trump wants to increase economic pressure on Iran and push it to reach an agreement and fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Xi is expected to be asked to use China's economic influence to help in this direction. Beijing realizes that its ability to influence Tehran gives it an additional card in its negotiations with Washington. Observers wonder what China can offer Trump in Iran, and what will it ask in return in trade, technology, or Taiwan?

Taiwan remains the issue most capable of revealing the limits of rapprochement, as Beijing wants an American position that is more considerate of its demands, and is pressing to stop arms sales to the island, while Taipei and Washington’s allies in Asia are cautiously monitoring any change in the American language. China wants Washington to move from saying that it “does not support” Taiwan independence to a more clear position of “opposing” independence, which is an apparently limited linguistic difference but carries great strategic implications. Therefore, attention after the summit will not be focused on trade deals alone, but rather on the words used in any joint statement, and on whether Xi was able to extract any shift in the American position on Taiwan.

“Hotline” for artificial intelligence

One of the most innovative developments may come from artificial intelligence. Treasury Secretary Scott Besent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng have discussed creating a mechanism to notify the other party of serious AI-related incidents that could affect national security, an idea similar to a “hotline” used to prevent miscalculations between major powers.

The initiative does not mean the end of technological competition. The United States and China are competing for chips, advanced models, and military uses of artificial intelligence, but the existence of a crisis management channel may be one of the few tangible outcomes that the two leaders can announce.

For Xi, the spectacle of the visit itself represents part of the gain. The personal reception at Andrews Base, the military ceremonies, the state banquet, and the three-day meetings give Beijing an image of power that Washington receives as a strategic peer, not just a commercial competitor. As for Trump, he is betting that his personal relationship with Xi can produce what fees alone could not achieve. Therefore, the most important result may not be a “grand deal,” but rather establishing a competition equation without explosion, pressure without rupture, and limited deals that prevent the trade war from igniting again.