Masoud Pezeshkian: Peace, Not Surrender

In an exclusive interview with Al Jazeera Arabic’s Ali al-Dafiri at the United Nations in New York, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian discusses US sanctions, tensions with the United States and Israel, and stalled peace negotiations. He portrays Iran as a victim of “terrorism,” citing deadly attacks on officials, scientists and schoolchildren, and defends Iranian retaliatory strikes on US bases in the Gulf and the wider Arab region. He also addresses tensions around the Strait of Hormuz, the wars in Gaza and Yemen, Syria’s new government, and Iran’s ties with Russia and China. Pezeshkian calls for Muslim solidarity anchored by Saudi Arabia and for regional security to be managed by local actors.