Trump's threats Iran's resolve

Trump’s threats Iran’s resolve

New York (dpa) — Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian warned at the UN on Wednesday against an international order dominated by force, saying military power must not be allowed to replace international legitimacy.

“We must not create a world in which military power replaces legitimacy, sanctions replace diplomacy, terror replaces politics and war replaces dialogue,” Pezeshkian told the UN General Assembly in New York.

“If international law is only implemented when it is compatible with the interests of the powerful, more countries will conclude that they must rely solely on their own power to ensure their security,” the Iranian president said.

Trump’s threats Iran’s resolve

Pezeshkian also blasted threats from US President Donald Trump, who said a day earlier that he was considering whether to “annihilate” Iran, promising that such threats would only strengthen Iran’s resolve.

“He should know that threats against our nation make us more united, make us stronger and increase the resistance of Iranians,” Pezeshkian said.

“Iran extends its hand to the world for cooperation. We are not calling on the world for another war, but for peace and justice.”

“Either we create security together, or we will endure insecurity together,” he added.

“Yesterday, the United States President described us as terrorists. We have been the victims of terrorism,” Pezeshkian told the UN General Assembly in New York.

He condemned US attacks on what he described as civilian targets during the early stages of the Iran war, including a girls’ school and a sports complex in the south of the country.

“Our innocent people are in fact the target of cowardly attacks … and we defended ourselves with strength,” Pezeshkian said.

“America and Israel attacked us with the latest technology and equipment, and our people stood firm with strength,” he added.

In his address to the UN on Tuesday, Trump sharply attacked Iran and raised the prospect of annihilating the Islamic Republic if Tehran does not strike a deal with Washington.

“I have a big decision to make,” Trump said, describing one option as reaching an agreement with Iran.

“Or do I annihilate the Islamic Republic, and do it quickly, never giving them a chance to kill and destroy people and countries again? Do I drive them into hell with no chance of survival and no hope of future greatness or generations?”

Trump nevertheless said he believed Tehran would ultimately agree to a deal, likely after the US midterm elections in November.