Iran’s president delivers rare U.N. speech amid war with the United States

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian addressed the U.N. General Assembly in New York on Wednesday, a day after President Donald Trump used the same podium to threaten to “annihilate the Islamic Republic.” It was a rare speech by a country at war with the United States.

During the address, Pezeshkian held up a portrait of former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who the report says was killed on the first day of U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran, Feb. 28. He also displayed photographs of children he said were victims of U.S. and Israeli bombings.

The only U.S. delegation representative in the hall walked out while the Iranian president was speaking.

Tehran says it is open to negotiations

Pezeshkian said Iran was ready for dialogue, diplomacy and negotiations, but would not accept “the language of force.” He also said Iran needed to remain strong to avoid threats and protect its future.

A day earlier, Trump said he faced a choice between a deal that would allow Iran to rebuild and “annihilating the Islamic Republic.” He again said he would not allow Tehran to develop a nuclear weapon.

Iran rejects limits on civilian nuclear program

Pezeshkian denied that Iran wanted a nuclear weapon but rejected restrictions on the country’s civilian nuclear program. He said Iran sought energy for progress.

Trump later said U.S. officials had met with Iranians for three hours. U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Mike Waltz said the administration was assessing what the Iranians had brought to the talks.

Qatar mediates messages between Tehran and Washington

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said Tehran and Washington had exchanged messages with Qatar acting as mediator. He said Iran’s conditions included an end to U.S. hostilities, the lifting of the naval blockade of Iranian ports and the release of Iranian funds.