Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian addressed the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday afternoon in New York City amidst allegations of Tehran’s involvement in assassination attempts against U.S. politicians and election interference.
Pezeshkian, who drew attention this week with his 40-member delegation, including his adult children, made headlines upon arrival for comments suggesting Israel is seeking to provoke a full-scale war in the Middle East by turning Lebanon into the next Gaza.
“We do not wish to be the cause of instability in the Middle East as its consequences would be irreversible,” he told reporters on Monday, according to Reuters. “We want to live in peace, we don’t want war.
“It is Israel that seeks to create this all-out conflict,” he added.
His speech to the General Assembly is expected to focus on the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, particularly Israel’s struggle against Iranian-backed militant groups Hamas and Hezbollah.
Pezeshkian’s remarks are likely to draw attention to the recent violence in Gaza and the Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon, which resulted in nearly 500 deaths, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry, as reported by the BBC on Tuesday. The number of Hezbollah terrorists among the dead is unknown.
While the U.N. has condemned Israeli attacks on civilians, the Iranian president’s comments may fall on deaf ears at the international body given Tehran’s significant support for the terrorist organizations engaged in the conflict against Israel.
There is also the issue of Tehran’s exposed plot to assassinate Donald Trump, potentially President Biden, Nikki Haley, and other “politicians, military people or bureaucrats,” according to FBI documents released by Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, earlier this month.
The FBI further confirmed last week that Iranian hackers attempted to provide the Democratic presidential campaign with stolen communication files from the Trump campaign.
While the Iranian attempts to replicate the Russian-style interference utilized during the 2016 campaign appear to have been unsuccessful in causing turmoil in the U.S. ahead of the elections, the assassination plot was likely a response to the 2020 killing of Gen. Qasem Soleimani during Trump’s presidency.
Pezeshkian’s trip to the U.S. for the top U.N. meeting sparked concerns last month. They encouraged Biden to block his visa over concerns his presence would “raise serious security issues” for the U.S. and its allies.
Hunger strikers were also reported at a notorious female prison in Iran in protest of the Iranian president’s address, as Tehran intensifies executions and calls for the release of all political and ideological detainees, according to Iran International.