Iran's President: Iran will never bow down to the United States, hopes to resolve conflicts through diplomacy.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian addressed the UN General Assembly, stating that despite the nearly seven-month war with the United States and Israel, Iran "will never kneel" but remains willing to resolve conflicts through diplomatic channels. Responding to U.S. President Donald Trump’s earlier threat to "destroy" Iran if a deal is not reached quickly, Pezeshkian said sanctions, pressure, and "bullying" will only further strengthen the Iranian people’s will to resist. He added that any agreement must include the U.S. ending its blockade of Iranian ships and ports, noting that "it cannot be that everyone benefits from the Strait of Hormuz while Iran is barred from passage." The Strait of Hormuz typically handles around one-fifth of the world’s oil and natural gas shipments. Since the war broke out in late February, the strait has effectively been closed due to Iranian attacks on commercial vessels and the U.S. blockade. On Tuesday local time, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff held indirect talks on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, mediated by Qatar, marking the first contact between the two sides since June. Witkoff expressed hope that the talks would be "constructive and promising," but Iran’s Foreign Ministry said the discussions were "nothing new," adding that Iran still insists on conditions including an end to the U.S. blockade and the unfreezing of Iranian assets.