TEHRAN, Iran — Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian departed for New York on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, to attend the United Nations General Assembly.
Okay News reports that Masoud Pezeshkian vowed to firmly defend his country’s positions in international forums before flying out of Iran, according to footage broadcast by state television.
“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,” Masoud Pezeshkian said.
The president is scheduled to address the United Nations meeting on Wednesday, September 23, 2026.
“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,” Masoud Pezeshkian said.
Masoud Pezeshkian will be the highest-ranking Iranian official to travel to the United States since the outbreak of the Middle East war, which began in late February 2026 with United States and Israeli strikes on Iran.
The United States Department of State approved United Nations visits for part of the Iranian delegation despite the ongoing conflict, subject to movement restrictions.
The communications team for Masoud Pezeshkian was denied visas and not authorized to travel. Iran’s presidential spokesman Habibollah Abbassi described the barring of the communications team as hostile.
The conflict between Tehran and Washington centers on traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran has fired on commercial vessels and demanded oversight of passage, while the United States maintains a counterblockade of Iranian ports and economic pressure.
