President Masoud Pezeshkian of Iran has declared that Israel has been defeated in its ‘genocidal war’ on the Gaza Strip and cannot restore its ‘myth of invincibility’ through acts of barbarism against Lebanon.
Addressing the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Tuesday, Pezeshkian criticised Israel’s actions in Gaza and Lebanon, condemning the extensive airstrikes that have resulted in significant civilian casualties.
He referred to Israel’s failure to overcome the Gaza-based resistance movement Hamas and highlighted the escalation of attacks against Lebanon since the onset of the conflict.
Recent Israeli airstrikes on southern and eastern Lebanon have reportedly killed at least 569 people, including 50 children and 94 women, and wounded 5,000 others.
Pezeshkian urged the international community to halt what he termed ‘insane Israeli barbarism’ before it ignites wider regional and global conflict.
‘Naturally, the blind and terrorist crimes of the past days and the extensive aggression against Lebanon that shed the blood of thousands of innocent people will not remain unanswered,’ he stated.
He warned that governments obstructing efforts to end this catastrophe, while claiming to defend human rights, must bear the consequences of these atrocities.
Pezeshkian also addressed the Israeli military actions in Gaza, noting that over 41,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed since the war began on 7 October.
‘The people of the world have witnessed the nature of the Israeli regime throughout the past year. They have seen how the regime’s rulers perpetrate crimes,’ he said.
He criticised Israel for labelling its actions as ‘legitimate defence’ while targeting hospitals, kindergartens, and schools, which he described as ‘legitimate military targets’ according to Israeli claims.
Pezeshkian condemned the branding of global protesters against the Israeli war as ‘anti-Semites’, affirming Iran’s support for these international demonstrations.
Echoing the sentiments of Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, Pezeshkian emphasised the Palestinians’ right to self-determination.
He denounced efforts to label Palestinians, ‘who have risen up after seven decades of occupation and humiliation’, as ‘terrorists’.
He proposed that all current and former inhabitants of Palestine participate in a referendum to determine their future, suggesting this as the only means to achieve sustainable peace.
‘We believe that through such a mechanism, sustainable peace can be achieved. It is only through this course that Muslims, Jews, and Christians can end up living in one land alongside one another amid calm and away from racism and apartheid,’ the president asserted.
Ayatollah Khamenei, speaking to a group of veterans and activists in Tehran on Wednesday, echoed these sentiments.
He stated that Hezbollah and other resistance forces are the victors in the conflict so far, partly due to Israel’s massacre of women and children in Palestine and Lebanon. ‘Until today, the victory has been for Hezbollah and the resistance forces; one reason is killing people,’ he said.
He argued that if Israel had been able to defeat the fighting forces in Gaza, the West Bank, or Lebanon, it would not need to resort to targeting civilians.
‘Since the regime has not been able to win over the resistance force, it is forced to pretend to win by hitting women, children, defenceless people and cars on the road, schools and hospitals. So, it has failed so far,’ Ayatollah Khamenei remarked.
The Leader acknowledged the losses suffered by Hezbollah but maintained that these were not sufficient to weaken the group’s capabilities significantly.
‘Some of the effective and valuable forces of Hezbollah were martyred, which undoubtedly caused damage to Hezbollah, but this was not the sort of damage that could bring the group to its knees,’ he said.
Ayatollah Khamenei emphasised that the ‘final victory in this battle will belong to the resistance front and the Hezbollah front’.
He criticised the United States for its involvement, stating, ‘The Americans say they are not involved and have no information, they say the opposite. They both have information and are involved and they need the victory of the Zionist regime.’
He accused the US government of seeking a victory for Israel to bolster its position in upcoming elections, while pretending not to be involved to appeal to American Muslim voters.
Both leaders highlighted Iran’s stance against the global domination system and American hegemony. Pezeshkian noted, ‘We want peace for all and are not after engaging in war and fighting with anyone.’
He stressed that Iran has never initiated war but has defended itself heroically against aggression, causing aggressors to regret their actions.
He pointed out that Iran has faced threats, warfare, occupation, and sanctions throughout its modern history, often without assistance from other nations.
‘We have learned through experience that we can only rely on the people and our indigenous capabilities.
‘The Islamic Republic is intent on providing and guaranteeing its own security, not on causing insecurity for others,’ Pezeshkian remarked.
Addressing the issue of unilateral sanctions imposed by the United States and its allies, Pezeshkian stated that these measures target the Iranian people and aim to destroy the foundations of Iran’s economy.
He criticised the US’s ‘maximum pressure’ policy, implemented despite Iran’s compliance with its obligations under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), as verified by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
‘Unilateral sanctions have targeted the people, and seek to destroy the foundations of Iran’s economy. The purpose is securitisation of Iran, and the result will be insecurity for everyone,’ he warned.
Pezeshkian also highlighted the US’s military build-up around Iran, noting the establishment of various military bases near the country’s borders.
Addressing the American people, he said, ‘It is not Iran that has sanctioned your country and prevented you from engaging in commercial relations with the world.
‘It is not Iran that has set up military bases near your borders. We are not the ones who have assassinated your army chiefs.
‘It is rather the United States which assassinated Iran’s dearest general at Baghdad airport.’ He was referring to the assassination of General Qassem Soleimani, former commander of the Quds Force of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), in January 2020.
Ayatollah Khamenei also emphasised Iran’s opposition to American domination, stating, ‘Today, like at the beginning of the revolution, we are against the domination system. We are against American domination.’
He warned against cultural infiltration and hostile attempts to derail Iran’s anti-colonial trajectory, urging vigilance in education and media sectors to prevent enemy influence.
He concluded by stressing the need for a new approach to resolving international issues, focusing on opportunities rather than threats.
‘We need to adopt a new attitude towards resolution of international issues. Such attitude has to focus on opportunities instead of threats. Based on this very interaction-minded logic, new opportunities can be created for cooperation,’ Ayatollah Khamenei said.
Both leaders called for regional unity and the formation of a strong region, advocating for the rejection of foreign intervention and the establishment of a sustainable regional order that benefits all.
They highlighted the shared challenges in the region, including war, sectarian tensions, terrorism, extremism, and environmental destruction, emphasising that these issues can be addressed collectively to ensure a better future for the next generations.