Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian addressed the UN General Assembly on Wednesday. Reuters
Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian addressed the UN General Assembly on Wednesday. Reuters
Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian addressed the UN General Assembly on Wednesday. Reuters
Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian addressed the UN General Assembly on Wednesday. Reuters

Israeli and US strikes on Iran were grave betrayal of diplomacy, says President Pezeshkian


Amr Mostafa
  • English
  • Arabic

Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian on Wednesday condemned Israeli and US air strikes on his country in June as a "grave betrayal of diplomacy and a subversion of efforts".

Israel launched a surprise military offensive on June 13 that eliminated Iranian generals and scientists, while also bombing nuclear enrichment sites and air defences. Iran retaliated by launching missile and drone attacks at Israel.

US attacks were then launched on three of Iran's main nuclear sites – Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan – on June 22, using massive so-called bunker-busting bombs.

Mr Pezeshkian told the UN General Assembly on Wednesday: "My country was subjected to a savage aggression in flagrant contravention of the most elementary principles of international law, the aerial assaults of the Zionist regime and the United States of America against Iran's cities, homes and infrastructures."

He said the attacks came "precisely at a time when we were treading the path of diplomatic negotiations, constituted a grave betrayal of diplomacy and a subversion of efforts towards the establishment of stability and peace.

"Attacks on internationally monitored facilities, assassinations of official government leaders, systematic targeting of journalists, and killings of individuals targeted solely for their knowledge and expertise are gross violations of human rights and international law," he added.

Mr Pezeshkian also maintained Tehran's stance that it does not seek to create nuclear weapons through its uranium enrichment activities, which it insists are for peaceful purposes.

“I hereby declare once before this assembly that Iran has never and will never seek to build a nuclear bomb,” he said.

The President also criticised Britain, German and French efforts to restore UN sanctions using a mechanism known as “snapback”. The sanctions had been lifted under a 2015 nuclear deal aimed at preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons, but Tehran has not complied with the terms.

Israel-Iran war- in pictures

Mr Pezeshkian said the European countries have operated in “bad faith” for years to dictate Iranian compliance with a deal that the US abandoned in 2018. He said they "falsely presented themselves as parties of good standing to the agreement and disparaged Iran’s sincere efforts as insufficient".

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Tuesday rejected direct talks with the US on its nuclear activities, saying they would lead to a “dead end”.

In a speech, Mr Khamenei said Iran would not “surrender to pressure” on the nuclear issue, as it braces for the return of UN sanctions.

In last-ditch talks to stop the sanctions, European powers have indicated they could relent if Iran returns to the negotiating table with the US. Several such meetings were held in spring, before Israel and the US bombed Iran during the 12-day war in June.

In his speech, Mr Pezeshkian also condemned the "genocide" in Gaza, the destruction of homes, repeated violations of sovereignty and territorial integrity in Lebanon, the destruction of Syrian infrastructure and attacks on the people of Yemen.

"Forced starvation of weak children in the arms of their mothers, violations of the sovereignty of countries and direct targeting of nations have occurred," he said of Gaza.

"All of this has been done with the unconditional support of the most powerful armed government in the world and under the pretext of self-defence."

"Do you like such a situation for yourself? Who has disrupted the stability of the region and the world, and who is a threat to international peace and security?" he asked. "Violations of norms are a serious threat to the world."

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Navdeep Suri, India's Ambassador to the UAE

There has been a longstanding need from the Indian community to have a religious premises where they can practise their beliefs. Currently there is a very, very small temple in Bur Dubai and the community has outgrown this. So this will be a major temple and open to all denominations and a place should reflect India’s diversity.

It fits so well into the UAE’s own commitment to tolerance and pluralism and coming in the year of tolerance gives it that extra dimension.

What we will see on April 20 is the foundation ceremony and we expect a pretty broad cross section of the Indian community to be present, both from the UAE and abroad. The Hindu group that is building the temple will have their holiest leader attending – and we expect very senior representation from the leadership of the UAE.

When the designs were taken to the leadership, there were two clear options. There was a New Jersey model with a rectangular structure with the temple recessed inside so it was not too visible from the outside and another was the Neasden temple in London with the spires in its classical shape. And they said: look we said we wanted a temple so it should look like a temple. So this should be a classical style temple in all its glory.

It is beautifully located - 30 minutes outside of Abu Dhabi and barely 45 minutes to Dubai so it serves the needs of both communities.

This is going to be the big temple where I expect people to come from across the country at major festivals and occasions.

It is hugely important – it will take a couple of years to complete given the scale. It is going to be remarkable and will contribute something not just to the landscape in terms of visual architecture but also to the ethos. Here will be a real representation of UAE’s pluralism.

Updated: September 24, 2025, 3:37 PM`