“I hope that this session will illuminate a bright path for present and future generations"

teleSUR English

Speech by Masoud Pezeshkian, President of Iran, at the 79th session of the UNGA. teleSUR

Transcript

00:00I voted for my central campaign platform of national empathy.

00:08This guiding principle is rooted in the command of the Almighty God as set forth in the Holy

00:12Koran.

00:14According to the teachings of the Koran, mankind was once a nation, so God dispatched prophets

00:20as heralds and warners.

00:23He sent the books down along with them to bring the truth so as to decide among mankind

00:27concerning whatever they had been disagreeing about.

00:31However, only those to whom it was given disagreed about it out of envy towards one another after

00:37explanations had been brought to them.

00:42Imam Ali, peace be upon him, instructed one of his governors to embrace the people with

00:47all your heart, show them kindness and extend your compassion towards them.

00:51Never treat those under your command with harshness or violence, for people fall into

00:55two categories.

00:57They're either your brothers in religion or equals in creation.

01:02The mission of all prophets has been to establish and promote truth and justice in society among

01:08all people, regardless of color, race, gender or language.

01:14Peace and security in the world will not be achieved unless the rights of all individuals,

01:20communities and nations are upheld with justice and fairness.

01:24Let's ask ourselves, are the roots of war and bloodshed we see in today's world anything

01:30other than the fact that aggressors have violated the rights of others, overlooked the rights

01:36of nations, enforced discrimination and inequality, kept certain groups weak and underdeveloped

01:43and disregarded the rights of individuals?

01:48As long as injustice, oppression, greed, poverty and ignorance prevail in any region,

01:56violence and conflict will continue.

01:59Unless we confront the root causes of such disorders, we cannot rescue the future of

02:04our children from darkness and destruction.

02:09Mr. President, I embarked on my electoral campaign with a platform focused on reform,

02:15national empathy, constructive engagement with the world and economic development and

02:20was honored to gain the trust of my fellow citizens at the ballot box.

02:25I aim to lay a strong foundation for my country's entry into a new era, positioning it to play

02:34an effective and constructive role in the evolving global order.

02:38My objective is to address existing obstacles and challenges while structuring my country's

02:43foreign relations in cognizance of the necessities and realities of the contemporary world.

02:50Mr. President, over the past year, the world has witnessed the true nature of the Israeli

02:56regime.

02:58It has witnessed how the regime carries out atrocities in Gaza and in 11 months has murdered

03:04in cold blood over 41,000 innocent people, mostly women and children.

03:09Its leaders label this genocide, the killing of children, war crimes and state terrorism

03:16as legitimate self-defense.

03:18They label hospitals, kindergartens and schools as legitimate military targets.

03:24They label the freedom-loving and brave people around the world who protest against their

03:28genocide as anti-Semitic.

03:31They label and oppress people who have stood up against seven decades of occupation and

03:36humiliation as terrorists.

03:39It is Israel that has assassinated our scientists, diplomats and even guests on our soil and

03:46supported both covertly and overtly terrorist groups like ISIS.

03:55Iran in contrast has supported popular liberation movements of people that have been victims

04:00of four generations of the crimes and colonialism of the Israeli regime.

04:05We have been siding with the people across the world who have flooded the streets in

04:10outrage against Israeli atrocities.

04:12We condemn Israeli crimes against humanity.

04:16It is imperative that the international community should immediately stop the violence and bring

04:21about a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and bring an end to the desperate barbarism of Israel

04:28in Lebanon before it engulfs the region and the world.

04:33Israel has been defeated in Gaza and no amount of barbaric violence can restore its myth

04:38of invincibility.

04:46Naturally blind Israeli state terrorism over the past few days in Lebanon followed by a

04:51massive aggression with thousands of victims cannot go unanswered.

04:59The responsibility for all consequences will be borne by those governments who have thwarted

05:04all global efforts to end this horrific catastrophe and have the audacity to call themselves champions

05:11of human rights.

05:14The only path to end this 70 years old nightmare in West Asia and the world is to restore the

05:20right of all Palestinians to self-determination.

05:25We propose that all people of Palestine, both those who live in their motherland as

05:30well as those who have been forced into its diaspora, determine their future in a referendum.

05:39We are confident that through this mechanism we can achieve a lasting peace with Muslims,

05:46Christians and Jews living alongside one another in one land in tranquility and peace and away

05:55from racism and apartheid.

05:57Excellencies, examine the contemporary history of the region.

06:03Iran has never initiated a war.

06:06It has only defended itself heroically against external aggression causing the aggressors

06:11to regret their actions.

06:13Iran has never occupied the territory of any nation.

06:16It has not sought the resources of any country.

06:19It has repeatedly offered various proposals to its neighbors and international fora aimed

06:25at establishing lasting peace and stability.

06:29We have emphasized the importance of unity in the region and establishing a strong region.

06:36A strong region rests on several fundamental principles.

06:41First we must recognize that we are neighbors and because of this bond we will always remain

06:45together.

06:47The presence of foreign powers in our region is temporary and leads to instability.

06:52Our development and progress are interconnected and outsourcing security to extra-regional

06:59powers will not benefit any of us.

07:02Second, the new regional order must be inclusive and beneficial for all neighbors.

07:08An order that fails to safeguard the interests of each neighboring country cannot be sustained.

07:15Third, neighboring and brotherly countries should not waste their valuable resources

07:20on attritional rivalries and armless races.

07:26Our region suffers from war, sectarian tensions, terrorism and extremism, drug trafficking,

07:32water scarcity, refugee crises, environmental degradation, and foreign interventions.

07:40We can collectively address these common challenges for a better future for coming

07:45generations.

07:50I am the president of a country that has endured threats, war, occupation, and sanctions throughout

07:57its modern history.

07:59Others have neither come to our assistance nor respected our declared neutrality.

08:05External powers have even sided with aggressors.

08:08We have learned that we can only rely on our own people and our own indigenous capabilities.

08:15The Islamic Republic of Iran seeks to safeguard its own security, not to create insecurity

08:21for others.

08:22We want peace for all and seek no war or quarrel with anyone.

08:29We seek lasting peace and security for the people of Ukraine and Russia.

08:35The Islamic Republic of Iran opposes war and emphasizes the urgent need to end military

08:40hostilities in Ukraine.

08:43We support all peaceful solutions and believe that dialogue is the only way to resolve this

08:48crisis.

08:53Mr. President, in the current globalized world, the security and interests of no country can

08:58be attained through undermining the security and interests of others.

09:03We need a new paradigm to address global challenges.

09:07Such a paradigm must focus on opportunities rather than being obsessed with perceived

09:12threats.

09:14Through such an agreement engagement approach, we can find fresh opportunities for cooperation.

09:21Iran and global powers achieved a historic nuclear deal in 2015.

09:27Through that fresh outlook based on shared opportunities, Iran agreed to the highest

09:31unprecedented level of nuclear oversight in return for recognition of our rights and

09:38the lifting of sanctions within the framework of the JCPOA.

09:42Trump's unilateral withdrawal from the agreement manifested a threat to written approach in

09:47politics and a coercion-driven strategy in the economic domain.

09:52Unilateral sanctions targeted innocent people and seek to undermine the foundations of the

09:56Iranian economy.

09:58The goal is to securitize Iran, which instead leads to insecurity for all.

10:03The policy of the U.S. so-called maximum pressure was in fact implemented against the Iranian

10:09people when Iran was fulfilling all its obligations under the JCPOA, as was verified repeatedly

10:16by the IAEA.

10:18We are ready to engage with JCPOA participants if JCPOA commitments are implemented fully

10:24and in good faith.

10:26Dialogue on other issues can follow.

10:29Here I want to address the American people.

10:32It is not Iran that has established military bases along your borders.

10:36It is not Iran that has imposed sanctions on your country and obstructed your trade

10:40relations with the world.

10:42It is not Iran that prevents you from accessing medicine.

10:45It is not Iran that has restricted access to the global banking and financial system.

10:50It is not we who have targeted your military leaders.

10:53Rather, it is the United States that assassinated Iran's most revered military commander at

10:58the Baghdad airport.

11:00My message to all states pursuing a counterproductive strategy towards Iran is to learn from history.

11:06We have the opportunity to transcend these limitations and enter into a new era.

11:11This era will commence with the acknowledgement of Iran's security concerns and cooperation

11:17on mutual challenges.

11:19Sanctions are destructive and inhumane weapons designed to cripple a nation's economy.

11:25The deprivation of access to essential medications is one of the most painful consequences of

11:30the sanctions, endangering the lives of thousands of innocent people.

11:36This measure is not only a blatant violation of human rights, but also constitutes a crime

11:42against humanity.

11:44Our nation has demonstrated resilience in the face of numerous hardships throughout

11:48the past few years caused by sanctions.

11:52Although the wounds inflicted by the sanctions are deep within our society, confronting this

11:59bitter experience has transformed us into a stronger nation with unwavering resolve

12:06and self-confidence.

12:10In order to build a better future world, Iran stands prepared to foster meaningful economic,

12:15social, political, and security partnerships with global powers and its neighbors based

12:21on equal footing.

12:25The appropriate response to this message from Iran is not to impose more sanctions, but

12:31to fulfill existing obligations to remove sanctions benefiting the Iranian people, hence

12:38laying the foundations for more constructive agreements.

12:45I hope that this message from Iran is carefully heard today.

12:53Thank you, Mr. President.

12:54We were listening to Massoud Peshachian, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, as he addressed

13:06the General Assembly of the United Nations.

13:08During his statements, the President remarked the talks of the Koran and how it professes

13:13a respectful coexistence in the world and humanity to show compassion for their equals.

13:18However, peace and security will not be achieved in the world unless there prevails respect.

13:23Violence and conflicts will prevail unless the international community confronts the

13:27source of these effects.

13:29The President remarked how Israel is perpetrating a genocide against the population of Palestine

13:34with no mercy and without anyone capable of stopping this extermination and crimes against

13:39humanity which cannot go unpunished.

13:42In this context, the President assured that Iran will always warranty dialogue and peaceful

13:47solutions and will always demand the end of the colonialism of the Israeli regime.

13:52The President ended making a call for the end of Israel's hostilities against Palestine,

13:57Lebanon and the region.

13:58This is all for the moment.

13:59Stay tuned with From the South.

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