NEW YORK — Iran has rejected US President Donald Trump’s threats to “annihilate” the Islamic Republic, accusing Washington of aggression while signalling that Tehran remains open to diplomacy under its own conditions.
Addressing the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian pushed back against Trump’s portrayal of Iran as a sponsor of terrorism, saying his country had instead become a victim of the conflict.
“Those who are terrorists and train and protect terrorists describe us as such. We have only defended ourselves,” Pezeshkian said.
His remarks came a day after Trump used his UN address to warn that he faced a choice between reaching a deal with Tehran and destroying Iran.
Trump said he had a “big decision to make” and questioned whether Washington should help Iran rebuild or “annihilate the Islamic Republic”.
The contrasting speeches came as the two countries made their first significant diplomatic contact in months, with US and Iranian officials holding talks on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner held discussions with Iranian officials through Qatari mediation. Trump described the meeting as “very productive”, while Witkoff said the discussions were constructive and that mediators would continue working between the two sides.
The talks are taking place as the conflict approaches its seventh month, with major differences still separating Washington and Tehran.
Iran has tied the reopening of the strategically important Strait of Hormuz to demands including an end to the war, the lifting of the US naval blockade and economic pressure, and the release of Iranian assets.
Washington, meanwhile, has called for the free movement of shipping through the strait and an end to Iran’s nuclear programme, among other demands.
The waterway is critical to global energy markets, making any prolonged disruption a concern well beyond the Middle East.
Pezeshkian told world leaders that Iran would not surrender under pressure from the United States and Israel, while accusing Washington of targeting Iranian civilians.
He also pointed to an attack on a school in Minab, which Iranian officials have blamed on the United States. A UN assessment has found reasonable grounds to believe the US committed a war crime in the strike, while the US has not publicly released its own findings on the incident.
At the same time, Iran’s military leadership has responded to Trump’s threats with warnings of further retaliation, saying any new attacks could trigger a response that would be more severe and unpredictable.
The sharp rhetoric has underscored the contradiction at the centre of the current crisis: Washington and Tehran are simultaneously threatening further escalation while exploring a possible diplomatic exit.
Trump has indicated that another round of talks could take place soon, while Iranian officials have stressed that their negotiating position has not fundamentally changed.
For now, the UN has become both a diplomatic meeting point and a stage for the increasingly public confrontation between the two countries.
Whether the renewed talks can bridge the gap between Washington’s demands and Tehran’s conditions remains uncertain, but the discussions have reopened a diplomatic channel that had largely collapsed in recent months.
