“Iran will never fall to its knees,” said Iranian President Massoud Peseschkian in his speech at the UN General Debate in New York. He vehemently rejected criticism and threats from US President Donald Trump. Iranians are not terrorists, but victims of terrorism, said Peseschkian.
In his speech the day before at the start of the general debate, Trump had outlined two possible options for the further course of the conflict to Iran: an agreement that would allow Iran to regain great economic strength - or the destruction of the Islamic Republic. During Peseschkian's speech today, the US representative demonstratively left the room.
Iran sticks to nuclear energy
In his speech at the UN, Peseschkian continued to complain about an international order of "violent people." “We must not create a world in which military power replaces legitimacy, sanctions replace diplomacy, terror replaces politics and war replaces dialogue,” he said.
The Islamic Republic is open to dialogue and diplomacy, but the “language of violence” will not be accepted. Peseschkian sharply criticized the US and Israeli attacks on civilian targets in Iran.
Peseschkian also commented on nuclear energy - a central controversial issue between the USA and Iran. His country is not building nuclear weapons, but will stick to the civilian use of nuclear energy. The US cited the destruction of Iran's ability to acquire functional nuclear weapons as one of the reasons for the attack on the country at the end of February.
But there have been conversations again for a long time
Despite mutual threats, representatives of the warring parties met for negotiations on the sidelines of the UN general debate on Tuesday for the first time in months. The exchange went “very well” and lasted three hours, Trump said afterwards. Iranian state media confirmed the negotiations. According to Trump, his negotiator Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner attended. Specific results were not reported.
Witkoff himself spoke on Platform X about a round of discussions that took place through intermediaries. It is hoped that this will prove constructive - the mediators will continue their work. Iranian state media emphasized that the conversation took place at Witkoff's request.
Iran and the USA repeatedly claim that the other side asked or even begged for talks. However, this cannot be verified independently.
Conditions for opening Strait of Hormuz communicated
During the talks, the conditions for opening the Strait of Hormuz were communicated to the USA by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, among others. These include the immediate lifting of the US naval blockade off the Iranian coast, the disbursement of all frozen Iranian assets and an end to the war on all fronts, as the Iranian state broadcaster Irib reported.
The New York Times, citing two Iranian officials, named Pakistan and Qatar as mediators of the new round of talks.
An Iranian member of parliament also believed that a direct meeting between the presidents of the USA and Iran was likely. However, there was no further information about this.
Wadephul: “It’s up to Iran to loosen its stranglehold”
Federal Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul also met with his Iranian colleague. At the meeting with Araghchi, the CDU politician called on Tehran to end the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. “It is up to Iran to engage constructively in negotiations and break the stranglehold,” said Wadephul.
Following the meeting, circles in the German delegation said that Wadephul had called on his Iranian counterpart to seriously and credibly participate in sustainable negotiations with the USA and neighboring countries in the region.
Germany and the so-called E3 format (Germany, France and Great Britain) are ready to support mediation efforts.
With information from Martin Ganslmeier, ARD Studio New York.
