{
  "id": 9370062,
  "title": "President tells Trump Iran will never ‘bend at the knee’",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/23/president-tells-trump-iran-will-never-bend-at-the-knee-9370062",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-23T15:59:02.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today-freemalays",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/world/2026/09/23/president-tells-trump-that-iran-will-never-bend-at-the-knee"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "At the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday, Iran's newly elected president, Masoud Pezeshkian, delivered a resolute address to the world stage. Having spoken for the first time since the United States and Israel initiated an aggressive campaign against his nation, Pezeshkian vowed that Tehran would never yield to Washington's demands. Accusing the U.S. of terrorism for the assassination of former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Pezeshkian displayed a photograph of the deposed leader and underscored that Iran had never initiated a war.\n\nDespite President Donald Trump's prior remarks at the UN, in which he suggested the possibility of annihilating Iran, Pezeshkian's speech made no mention of potential diplomatic overtures. Instead, the Iranian leader emphasized the growing resistance of the Iranian people in the face of escalating sanctions, pressure, and aggression. He declared unequivocally, \"We will never bow our head or bend at the knee.\"\n\nPezeshkian's stance on the Strait of Hormuz, which has been intermittently blockaded by Iran since the war's inception, was equally firm. He vehemently opposed allowing the waterway to be used for aggression against his country, stating, \"We cannot let some have free access and bolster their interests from the waterway, while at the same time using that waterway to impose their aggression upon us.\"\n\nThe president's attendance at the UN's most significant diplomatic event had been uncertain due to visa uncertainties. Ultimately, Washington granted the permit, but declined to issue visas to several members of Pezeshkian's entourage. The geopolitical tensions and economic ramifications of the ongoing conflict continue to shape the global landscape, with soaring fuel prices threatening to cost Trump's party their control of Congress in the upcoming midterms.",
  "summary": "Masoud Pezeshkian said US president Donald Trump must know that the resistance of the Iranian people will only increase in the face of sanctions, increased pressure and increased bullying.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "President tells Trump Iran will never ‘bend at the knee’",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/23/president-tells-trump-iran-will-never-bend-at-the-knee",
        "published": "2026-09-23T15:59:02.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}