Iran’s President Defies Trump Pressure, Vows to Continue Nuclear Program

Source: Africa Publicity

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has rejected demands for Tehran to abandon its nuclear ambitions, using his address to the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday to challenge the military and economic pressure being applied by U.S. President Donald Trump.

Pezeshkian said Iran remained prepared for diplomacy but would not negotiate under threats or accept what he described as the language of force.

“He must know that the resistance of the Iranian people will only increase in the face of sanctions, increased pressure, increased bullying,” Pezeshkian told the room.

His remarks came shortly after Trump addressed the same gathering and warned that Iran must either reach an agreement with Washington to bring the more than six-month war to an end or face “annihilation.”

The U.S. representative had earlier walked out during Pezeshkian’s speech.

“We will never bow our head or bend at the knee,” Pezeshkian continued.

The Iranian president said Tehran was not opposed to negotiations, but insisted that any diplomatic process must take place without coercion.

“Iran must be understood by Mr. Trump and those who seek to bully us that we are ready for dialogue and diplomacy and negotiations without accepting the language of force.”

Pezeshkian also rejected threats against Iran, arguing that such statements were inconsistent with the principles of the United Nations.

Referencing Trump’s threats to wipe out Iran, he said, “everything uttered about our country goes against the very essence and charter and the spirit of the United Nations.”

On the nuclear issue, Pezeshkian repeated Iran’s longstanding position that Tehran does not intend to acquire nuclear weapons. At the same time, he said Iran would not accept restrictions on its peaceful nuclear activities.

“We say it clearly: No nuclear weapons and no limitations to peaceful nuclear technology,” he said.

The speech comes as Iran faces renewed international pressure over its nuclear program. Earlier this month, the U.N.’s nuclear watchdog reported Iran to the U.N. Security Council for noncompliance with its nuclear safeguard agreements, marking the first such censure in two decades.

The Security Council also triggered a snapback of sanctions on Iran in September 2025, following restrictions on international monitoring of its nuclear activities and a deadlock in negotiations between Tehran and Washington.

Trump has repeatedly said that preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon is at the center of his war against the Islamic Republic. Despite the military campaign and extensive economic pressure, Tehran has not capitulated.

The conflict has also affected global energy markets, with disruptions contributing to economic pressure and higher gasoline and diesel prices, particularly in the United States.

Trump has suggested that Iran could reach a deal with Washington after the U.S. midterm elections, raising the possibility that Tehran is waiting to see whether Republicans retain control of both chambers of Congress.

“I gave absolutely no credence and will not give credence to the election when it comes to Iran,” Trump said in his speech to the U.N.

Diplomatic contacts between the two sides have nevertheless continued.

Trump’s envoys for negotiations, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, held indirect discussions with Iranian officials on Tuesday on the sidelines of the U.N. summit.

Following the talks, Witkoff said he hoped the “lengthy” discussions “will prove constructive and promising” in a post on the social platform X.