Complete Speech of I.R. Iran President Dr. Pezeshkian at UNGA 79

Iran wants world peace and end to Israeli crimes

As long as injustice, oppression, greed, poverty and ignorance reign in a region, violence and conflict will continue. If we do not address the root causes of these troubles, we will not be able to save the future of our children from darkness and destruction.

 Mr. President, Excellencies,

I extend my sincere congratulations to you on the opening of the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly and to you, Mr. President, on your well-deserved election. I am confident that the crucial themes of this session – peace, sustainable development and human dignity – will illuminate a bright path for present and future generations.

Last year, my country's devoted President Ebrahim Raisi addressed you from this very podium. He was martyred in the service of the Iranian people. May his soul rest in peace.

This is the first time I address you as President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, a position I assumed after the Iranian people voted for my central campaign platform, “national empathy.” This guiding principle is rooted in the command of Almighty God, as stated in the Holy Quran.

According to the teachings of the Quran: “Mankind was once one nation. So God sent the prophets as bearers of good news and as warners. He sent down with them the Book as the truth, that it might decide between men what was disputed. But only those to whom it was given differed in it out of envy of one another, after it had been made clear to them.” (Quran, II: 213)

Imam Ali (peace be upon him) instructed one of his governors: "Welcome the people with all your heart, show them kindness and extend your compassion to them. Never treat those under your command with harshness or violence. For people are divided into two categories: they are either your brothers in religion or your equals in creation."

The mission of all prophets has been to establish and promote truth and justice in society among all peoples, without distinction of color, race, sex or language. Peace and security in the world will not be achieved unless the rights of all individuals, communities and nations are respected with justice and equity.

Let us ask ourselves: Are not the causes of the wars and bloodshed we see in the world today anything other than the fact that the aggressors have violated the rights of others, ignored the rights of nations, imposed discrimination and inequality, kept certain groups weak and underdeveloped, and ignored the rights of individuals?

As long as injustice, oppression, greed, poverty and ignorance reign in a region, violence and conflict will continue. Unless we address the root causes of these troubles, we will not be able to save our children's future from darkness and destruction.

I began my election campaign with a platform focused on “reform,” “national empathy,” “constructive engagement with the world,” and “economic development,” and I was honored to earn the trust of my fellow citizens at the ballot box.

I aim to lay a solid foundation for my country's entry into a new era, positioning it to play an effective and constructive role in the evolving world order.

My goal is to overcome existing obstacles and challenges while structuring my country's foreign relations taking into account the needs and realities of the contemporary world.

Mr. President,

Over the past year, the world has witnessed the true nature of the Israeli regime. It has witnessed the atrocities committed by this regime in Gaza and how it has cold-bloodedly murdered more than 41,000 innocent people in eleven months, mostly women and children.

Its leaders call this genocide, child murder, war crimes and state terrorism "self-defense";

They call hospitals, kindergartens and schools "legitimate military targets";

They label as "anti-Semites" the courageous and freedom-loving people who protest their genocide around the world;

They call "terrorists" an oppressed people who have stood up against seven decades of occupation and humiliation.

It is Israel that has murdered our scientists, our diplomats and even our guests on our soil; and has supported – openly or secretly – terrorist groups like ISIS.

Iran, on the contrary, has supported popular movements for the liberation of people who were victims of four generations of crimes and colonialism by the Israeli regime.

We stand with people around the world who have taken to the streets in outrage at Israeli atrocities; we condemn Israeli crimes against humanity.

It is imperative that the international community immediately end the violence and establish a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and put an end to Israel's desperate barbarity in Lebanon, before it engulfs the region and the world.

Israel has been defeated in Gaza, and no amount of barbaric violence can restore its myth of invincibility. Naturally, the blind Israeli state terrorism of recent days in Lebanon, followed by a massive aggression that has claimed thousands of lives, cannot go unanswered. Responsibility for all the consequences will fall on those who have thwarted all global efforts to end this horrible catastrophe and who have the audacity to proclaim themselves defenders of human rights.

The only way to end this 70-year-old nightmare in West Asia and the world is to restore the right of all Palestinians to self-determination. We propose that the entire Palestinian people – both those living in their homeland and those who have been forced to join its diaspora – determine their future through a referendum. We are convinced that through this mechanism we can achieve a lasting peace, in which Muslims, Christians and Jews would live side by side on the same land in tranquility and peace, free from racism and apartheid.

Excellencies,

Consider the contemporary history of the region: Iran has never started a war; Iran has never occupied the territory of any nation, never sought to appropriate the resources of any country, has repeatedly made proposals to its neighbors and international forums to establish lasting peace and stability.

We stressed the importance of unity in the region and the establishment of a "strong region". A "strong region" is based on several fundamental principles:

First, we must recognize that we are neighbors and that, thanks to this bond, we will always remain united. The presence of foreign powers in our region is temporary and leads to instability. Our development and progress are interconnected, and entrusting security to extra-regional powers will not benefit any of us.

Second, the new regional order must be inclusive and beneficial to all neighbors. An order that fails to preserve the interests of each neighboring country cannot be sustained.

Third, neighboring and brotherly countries must not waste their precious resources on attrition and arms races. Our region suffers from war, sectarian tensions, terrorism and extremism, drug trafficking, water scarcity, refugee crises, environmental degradation and foreign interventions. We can collectively address these common challenges for a better future for generations to come.

I am the President of a country that has endured threats, wars, occupations and sanctions throughout its modern history. Others have failed to come to our aid or respect our declared neutrality. World powers have even sided with the aggressors. We have learned that we can only rely on our own people and our own indigenous capabilities.

The Islamic Republic of Iran seeks to preserve its own security and not to create insecurity for others. We want peace for all and do not seek war or quarrels with anyone.

We wish for lasting peace and security for the peoples of Ukraine and Russia. The Islamic Republic of Iran opposes war and stresses the urgent need to end military hostilities in Ukraine. We support all peaceful solutions and believe that dialogue is the only way to resolve this crisis.

Mr. President,

In today's globalized world, the security and interests of no country can be ensured by undermining the security and interests of others. We need a new paradigm to address global challenges. Such a paradigm must focus on opportunities rather than obsessing over perceived threats. Through such an approach to engagement, we can find new opportunities for cooperation.

Iran and world powers reached a historic nuclear deal in 2015 based on this new perspective, based on shared opportunities. Iran agreed to the highest and unprecedented level of nuclear monitoring in exchange for recognition of our rights and the lifting of sanctions under the JCPOA. Trump’s unilateral withdrawal from the deal demonstrated a threat-based approach in politics and a strategy focused on coercion in the economic realm.

Unilateral sanctions target innocent people and seek to undermine the foundations of the Iranian economy. The goal is to secure Iran, which instead leads to insecurity for all. The US policy of “maximum pressure” was actually implemented against the Iranian people while Iran was fulfilling all of its obligations under the JCPOA, as repeatedly verified by the IAEA.

We are ready to engage with the JCPOA participants. If the JCPOA commitments are fully implemented and in good faith, dialogue on other issues may follow.

I would like to address the American people:

It is not Iran that has established military bases along your borders. It is not Iran that has imposed sanctions on your country and hampered your trade relations with the world. It is not Iran that is preventing you from accessing medicines. It is not Iran that has restricted your access to the global banking and financial system.

It was not us who targeted your military leaders, but it was the United States that assassinated Iran's most revered military commander at Baghdad airport.

My message to all states that are pursuing a counterproductive strategy toward Iran is to learn from history. We have the opportunity to transcend these limitations and enter a new era. This era will begin with recognition of Iran’s security concerns and cooperation on mutual challenges.

Sanctions are destructive and inhumane weapons designed to cripple a nation’s economy. Deprivation of access to essential medicines is one of the most painful consequences of sanctions, endangering the lives of thousands of innocent people. This measure is not only a flagrant violation of human rights, but also a crime against humanity.

Our nation has shown resilience in the face of the many challenges caused by sanctions over the years. Although the wounds inflicted by these sanctions run deep within our society, facing this bitter experience has transformed us into a stronger nation with unwavering determination and self-confidence.

In order to build a better world, Iran stands ready to foster meaningful economic, social, political and security partnerships with world powers and its neighbors on an equal footing.

The appropriate response to this message from Iran is not to impose more sanctions, but to fulfill existing obligations to lift sanctions, to the benefit of the Iranian people and thus lay the foundation for more constructive agreements.

I hope that this message from Iran will be well received.

Thank you Mr. President.