NEW YORK: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian delivered a strong address before the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Wednesday (local time), rejecting US claims of terrorism against his country and stating that Tehran is the "victim of terrorism."
Speaking from the podium, Pezeshkian held up photos of students killed in the Minab school strike and a picture of slain Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Opening his address by countering allegations of aggression, Pezeshkian addressed US President Donald Trump's comments at UNGA yesterday.
"The United States President described us as terrorists. Iran has not attacked anyone for 200 years, but now we’re being accused of being a source of instability in the region; we’re labelled terrorists. We have been victims of terrorism our leader was assassinated. Those who are terrorists call us as such. Our people are targets by Israel and us. We responded but did not hit civilian structure. Against international law. Israel is like a terrorist in Gaza. They are committing terrorism in Gaza,” Pezeshkian said.
“We have been the victims of terrorism. I come from an Iran in which our esteemed supreme leader was assassinated without any legal framework or reason. I come from an Iran where, in truth, they bombed a school. You see, these children; these children perished under bombs with weapons used by the United States and Israel. They were innocent, had committed no crimes," he added.
He also talked of sanctions against Iran. "Those who are ill, innocent people, the poor, the least privileged in our society are the targets of these sanctions," he said.
Pezeshkian said foreign attacks hit critical public facilities across the country, "They came into surrounding territories and targeted our universities, our healthcare centres, our schools, our hospitals, our infrastructures, all of it against international law. The United States, by using weapons with multiple warheads, targeted that sports hall. They martyred, assassinated our scientists, our men, women, and children. Innocent children whom, in truth, had committed no crimes, no sins. The US seeks to sacrifice the population of a country in order to achieve her illegitimate goals." (ANI)
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