US official walks out of UN hall as Iran's Pezeshkian speaks
Iran's president told the General Assembly his country was a victim of terrorism and did not bow its head, as a US official left the chamber mid-speech
Published
Iran's president Masoud Pezeshkian told the United Nations General Assembly that Iran has been a victim of terrorism, that its leader was assassinated without any legal framework, and that Iran did not bow its head but did not strike civilian populations. A US official walked out of the hall during the speech.
The walkout came during a week of parallel contacts between Washington and Tehran on the sidelines of the UN. US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff has said talks with the Iranian delegation were lengthy and that mediators would continue. Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi has accused the United States and Israel of war crimes even as he holds separate talks with Washington over the Strait of Hormuz. Iran's security council secretary Ali Rezaei has tied any reopening of the strait to a four to five day deadline for Washington and ruled out negotiations until his conditions are met. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has said President Trump's remark about annihilating Iran amounted to war language.
The walkout signals that Washington is not willing to accept Iran's framing of events, even as talks through mediators continue. Set against the recent overtures from Witkoff and Araghchi, the gesture points to reluctance in Washington to grant legitimacy to Iran's position, which makes near-term de-escalation less likely and keeps the risk of renewed confrontation over the Strait of Hormuz in view.