# Iran's UNGA Moment > Iranian President Pezeshkian fires back at Trump's threats with a fiery U.N. speech, while tech leaders warn of AI risks and Ukraine seeks continued support. - Title: Iran's UNGA Moment · Foreign Policy | Shortify - Summary: Iranian President Pezeshkian fires back at Trump's threats with a fiery U.N. speech, while tech leaders warn of AI risks and Ukraine seeks continued support… - Keywords: iran, masoud pezeshkian, united states, donald trump, united nations general assembly, nuclear weapons, israel, benjamin netanyahu, ukraine, volodymyr zelensky, russia, artificial intelligence - Source: Foreign Policy — https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/09/23/iran-unga-speech-pezeshkian-trump-israel-terrorist-nuclear - Author: Rishi Iyengar, John Haltiwanger - Read time: 3 min - Topics: iran, masoud pezeshkian, united states, donald trump, united nations general assembly, nuclear weapons, israel, benjamin netanyahu, ukraine, volodymyr zelensky, russia, artificial intelligence ## Iran's fiery U.N. response Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian used his U.N. speech to hit back at Trump's threat to annihilate Iran, calling the U.S. government terrorists and defending Iran's actions as self-defense. > Those who are terrorists and train and protect terrorists describe us as such. We have only defended ourselves. ## Pezeshkian cites U.S. and Israeli attacks The Iranian president claimed Iran is the victim of terrorism, pointing to the U.S. and Israeli assassination of former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and U.S. bombings of a school and sports complex. ## Nuclear double standard Pezeshkian criticized Israel for possessing nuclear weapons while Iran faces inspections and sanctions, saying the disparity shows Western hypocrisy on nuclear proliferation. > The nuclear weapon is in Israel, but the inspectors are in Iran. Israel kills, but Iran is subject to sanctions. ## Gaza described as open wound The Iranian leader condemned Israel's military campaign in Gaza, calling it an open wound on the international community's conscience and a violation of Palestinian rights. ## Iran claims peaceful nuclear intent Pezeshkian said Iran pursues nuclear technology for energy security, not weapons, and rejected the idea that only some nations should have access to peaceful nuclear technology. > For our country, peaceful nuclear technology is part of our inherent progress. ## Iran open to talks without coercion Pezeshkian said Iran is ready to negotiate with Trump but only without sanctions or pressure, warning that coercion will only strengthen Iranian resistance. > We will never bow our head or bend at the knee. ## Secret U.S.-Iran talks underway Trump's envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met with Iranian representatives at the U.N., with Witkoff posting that they had lengthy talks through mediators and hoped for constructive results. ## Zelensky aligns with Trump on Russia Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky opened his U.N. speech by agreeing with Trump that the Russia-Ukraine war is ridiculous and never-ending, and called for its end. ## Ukraine claims major Russian losses Zelensky said 21 countries have smaller populations than the number of Russian troops lost in eight months, and claimed Russia has recruited soldiers from 47 different nations. ## Ukraine secures new defense deals Zelensky announced a drone deal with Finland and a bilateral security agreement with Australia, while saying Ukraine is in talks with Canada for additional support. ## Zelensky reaches out to China The Ukrainian president expressed regret at not meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping at the U.N., noting that China has significant influence over Russia. ## Tech CEOs call for AI regulation OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei told the U.N. Security Council that governments must regulate artificial intelligence through democratic processes, not just tech companies. > If AI is to be democratic, the most important decisions cannot be made by labs in San Francisco alone. ## Recent AI hacks raise alarm Multiple high-profile hacks of AI systems have sparked concern about cyber capabilities, with former British intelligence chief Jeremy Fleming saying the breaches reflect poor safety practices at AI labs. ## Fleming rejects AI doomsday talk The former head of Britain's GCHQ rejected existential AI panic but warned that the technology could fail to perform as designed and cause real harm in the future. > I don't think that we're all going to be wiped out tomorrow, I hate that conversation. ## AI could boost developing economies World Bank President Ajay Banga said AI applications could help farmers and workers in emerging markets become more productive, offering hope for economic growth in the developing world. > In the developing world, applications of AI can look like helping to make an illiterate farmer more productive. ## Palestinian and Sudanese leaders denied visas The U.S. reportedly denied visas to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Sudan's de facto leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, forcing them to give virtual speeches after Netanyahu's address. ## Key takeaway At the U.N. General Assembly, Iran and the U.S. traded accusations while signaling openness to talks, even as tech companies called for government regulation of artificial intelligence.