Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian on his way to the UN General Assembly

Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian, who is flying out on Tuesday to participate in the UN General Assembly, promised to “firmly defend” his country’s positions against a backdrop of conflict with the United States.

“We came out of it with our heads held high (from the war, Editor’s note), which is a source of dignity and pride for all of us. This is why we will firmly defend our positions in international bodies,” declared Massoud Pezeshkian before his departure from Iran, according to images broadcast by state television.

The Iranian president is due to speak at the UN on Wednesday. “We will make the best use of this opportunity to raise awareness of Iran’s plight to the international community. We will firmly tell our adversaries that, despite all the injustices and inequalities, the Iranian people stood firm,” added Mr. Pezeshkian.

He is the most senior Iranian official to visit American soil since the start of the war, triggered at the end of February by Israeli-American strikes.

France is working on a new UN Security Council resolution aimed at unblocking the Strait of Hormuz, a diplomatic source told journalists.

“France wants to work with the Americans and its partners on a Security Council resolution guaranteeing freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz,” said this source.

Last April, Russia and China vetoed a draft resolution, carried by Bahrain and supported by the Gulf countries and the United States, already calling for the unblocking of the Strait of Hormuz.

The annual UN summit begins Tuesday with an expected speech from Donald Trump, slayer of an institution he accuses of being incapable of resolving conflicts in the world, at a time when he himself seems bogged down in his war in Iran.

Last year, the American president's presentation to the General Assembly consisted of a direct attack on the United Nations, accused of inaction while he boasted of having ended seven wars in a few months.

Donald Trump will speak as he struggles to extricate himself from the conflict he launched with Israel at the end of February against Iran, a war which is showing signs of possible worsening and affecting the circulation of oil and gas, with cascading repercussions on the world economy. At home, the US president is also struggling as the midterm elections approach, facing growing unpopularity fueled largely by the rising cost of living.

The champion of “America First” will not fail to welcome the agreement just signed with Denmark on the future of Greenland – which will be the subject of an official signing ceremony in New York. And will not also forget to mention Venezuela, before a tête-à-tête with its interim president Delcy Rodriguez, who has governed under strong American pressure since the capture of Nicolas Maduro by Washington in January.

The Republican billionaire is also expected to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during the day, as the war with Russia has intensified in recent months. A “ridiculous and endless war”, which “must be stopped”, he recently lamented.