Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told the UN General Assembly that Tehran will not surrender to military pressure and said Iran cannot allow the Strait of Hormuz to be used to move weapons against it. His remarks answered a stark warning from President Trump a day earlier, while separate contacts between US and Iranian officials continued on the sidelines.
Pezeshkian took the podium at the UN General Assembly a day after Trump addressed the same body, and US officials walked out of the hall ahead of his speech. He said Iran needs nuclear energy, not a nuclear bomb, and argued the nuclear issue cannot be settled on the battlefield.
Pezeshkian rules out surrender
The Iranian president said Iran has shown a commitment to negotiations, but he will not surrender to military pressure. He described Iran's military posture as defensive, saying the country must be strong enough to respond to attacks. On the Strait of Hormuz, Pezeshkian said Iran cannot allow others to use the waterway to move weapons that would be used against it. He also addressed the attack on the Minab girls' school, saying innocent children were killed and that Iran had not targeted civilian populations; the source material does not independently establish who was responsible for the attack or the conduct of either side.
Trump raises the stakes, then softens them
A day earlier, Trump told the UN he was considering whether to — according to investingLive — "annihilate" Iran. He framed it as a major decision against the alternative of a deal that would let Iran rebuild, and predicted that deal would not arrive until after the November midterms. Later the same day, Trump said Jared Kushner and envoy Steve Witkoff had a very good meeting with Iranian officials on the sidelines, and Witkoff described lengthy talks held through mediators.
Markets read Pezeshkian as more stable, not less
A prediction market tracking Pezeshkian's chance of leaving office by December 31 moved lower after his remarks. Pricing for a "yes" outcome stood at 7%, down from 9% the previous day and 12% a week earlier, according to Crypto Briefing. The shift suggests traders read his diplomatic tone as reinforcing his position rather than weakening it.
Both presidents left room for a deal while each paired that opening with a warning. For traders, the Kushner-Witkoff meeting with Iranian officials is the only concrete step so far toward easing the standoff over Hormuz shipping.
Sources: investingLive, Crypto Briefing
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