Iran President Pezeshkian's United Nations General Debate - Full Speech English

Watch the full UNGA 2026 speech by the Iranian President in full quality without the watermark. Masoud Pezeshkian, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, addresses the General Debate of the 81st Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations (New York, 2026). World leaders gathered to engage in the annual high-level General Debate under the theme, "Better together: 81 years and more for peace, development and human rights". In this address to the 81st Session of the UN General Assembly, President Masoud Pezeshkian of Iran strongly criticises the United States and Israel, characterising his country as a victim of terrorism rather than a perpetrator. He defends Iran's right to self-defence and nuclear technology for peaceful purposes, while calling for regional cooperation and justice for Palestine. Key themes from the address: Claiming USA and Israel are the real terrorists: President Pezeshkian disputes labels applied by the U.S., stating, "Those who are terrorists and train and protect terrorists describe us as such. We have only defended ourselves". Defence and Regional Security: He argues that Iran requires military strength to prevent aggression, asserting, "Iran must be powerful to avoid being threatened, to avoid its future being threatened". He adds, "We do not seek to use our power for hegemony". Nuclear Program: The President emphasises that Iran's nuclear development is strictly for non-military progress: "We say it clearly, no nuclear weapons and no limitations to peaceful nuclear technology". The Palestinian Issue: President Pezeshkian describes the situation in Gaza as a failure of international institutions, noting, "Lasting peace in West Asia is impossible without justice for Palestine". Call for Diplomacy: Despite the tensions, he maintains an openness to negotiation, stating, "Iran is ready for dialogue and diplomacy and negotiations without accepting the language of force". Speech Highlights: https://youtu.be/BTSw_ygdC20