Iran's President Blasts US, Israel at UN, Claims Victimhood

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad used his speech at the UN General Assembly in New York to launch a sharp attack against the United States and Israel. The US delegation demonstratively walked out of the hall during his address. Ahmadinejad's speech, his first international address since the outbreak of the war in February, was a direct response to US President Donald Trump's recent threats to destroy the Iranian regime. "Trump should know that threats only unite the Iranian nation," Ahmadinejad stated, countering Trump's earlier labeling of Iran as a terrorist state. The Iranian president asserted that his country is the one that "suffers from terror" and is a "victim of terror," claiming Iran does not cause instability and that those committing crimes disregard international law.

He referenced the assassination of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on the first day of Operation "Lion's Roar" and accused the US of bombing a school. Ahmadinejad maintained that, unlike Washington and Israel, Iran's forces attacked only military targets for self-defense. He criticized what he called the "double standards" of the international community and condemned the sanctions imposed on Iran. Regarding Iran's nuclear program, he reiterated the claim that it is solely for energy and peaceful purposes.

The strong speech followed Trump's statement the previous day in New York, where he indicated he would soon have to decide between "destroying the Islamic Republic" or helping it become a regional power, while also calling for tighter economic pressure and sanctions on Tehran.