Iran's president tells Trump it will never 'bend the knee'

Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian addressed the UN General Assembly, declaring that Iran will never "bend the knee" following seven months of conflict with the US and Israel. Confronting US President Donald Trump's threat of "annihilation" if a deal is not reached, Pezeshkian warned that Iranian resistance would only intensify under sanctions and pressure.

He emphasized that any agreement must include the lifting of the US blockade on Iranian ships and ports, stating, "It cannot be the case that everyone benefits from the Strait of Hormuz while we are denied access." The strategic Strait of Hormuz, responsible for a fifth of global oil and gas shipments, has been under Iranian missile and drone attacks since the war began in late February, effectively closing it.

The US and Iran initially agreed on June to end the war and reopen the strait, but this collapsed when Iranian attacks resumed and the US reinstated its blockade. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with US envoy Steve Witkoff in indirect talks mediated by Qatar on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. Witkoff expressed hope the discussions, the first since June, would be constructive and promising, vowing to continue the work.

However, Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baqai dismissed the talks as "not anything new" and reiterated Iran's conditions, including the end of the US blockade and the release of frozen Iranian assets.