Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian departed for New York on Tuesday to attend the United Nations General Assembly, pledging to “firmly defend” Iran’s position before the international community.
“We emerged with our heads held high, and this is a source of dignity and pride for all of us. Therefore, we will firmly defend our positions in international forums,” Pezeshkian said before leaving Iran, according to footage broadcast by state television.
The Iranian president is scheduled to address the UN General Assembly on Wednesday.
“We will make the best possible use of this opportunity to convey Iran’s plight to the international community. We will firmly tell our adversaries that, despite all the unfairness and injustices, the Iranian people have stood their ground,” he said.
Pezeshkian will be the highest-ranking Iranian official to visit the United States since the Middle East war began in late February following US-Israeli strikes on Iran.
Despite the ongoing conflict, Washington has authorised part of the Iranian delegation to travel to New York for the UN meetings, although the US State Department said its members would face restrictions on their movements.
Members of Pezeshkian’s communications team, however, were denied visas and will not accompany him. Iranian presidential spokesman Habibollah Abbassi described the decision as “hostile”, according to local media.
The dispute over the Strait of Hormuz remains a central issue in tensions between Tehran and Washington. Traffic through the strategically important waterway has been severely disrupted since the war began. Before the conflict, roughly one-fifth of the world’s hydrocarbons passed through the strait.
The United States, meanwhile, continues to maintain a counterblockade of Iranian ports.