Iran’s President Challenges West as UN Meeting Exposes Rifts

Reformist seeking new nuclear deal with west, sanctions relief
Iran leader’s pitch complicated by Israel-Hezbollah conflict

Masoud Pezeshkian speaks at the Summit of the Future on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly at United Nations headquarters in New York, on Sept. 23.Photographer: Timothy A. Clary/AFP/Getty Images

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By Golnar Motevalli

September 24, 2024 at 6:47 PM UTC

Updated on

September 25, 2024 at 2:28 AM UTC

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Iran’s new president, making his global debut before the United Nations General Assembly, managed to dominate the day Tuesday by warning Israel’s attacks on Lebanon “cannot go unanswered,” while also urging Western nations to come back to a nuclear accord and lift sanctions against the Islamic Republic.

President Masoud Pezeshkian drew more attention for his dual messages of threat and cooperation than the day’s other star speakers, including Joe Biden, making his farewell appearance as US president at the UN rostrum with a plea for collective action to address current and emerging global challenges.