Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has strongly responded to US President Donald Trump’s threat to “destroy” Iran.

Addressing the United Nations General Assembly, Pezeshkian said sanctions and military pressure would not force Iran to surrender. Instead, he warned that greater pressure would only strengthen resistance among the Iranian people. At the same time, he said Tehran remains open to dialogue and diplomacy to end the conflict.

Pezeshkian addressed the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York on Wednesday. A day earlier, Trump had said that if no agreement was reached with Iran, he could move toward “rapidly destroying” the Islamic Republic.

Responding to Trump, Pezeshkian described the remarks as an expression of a “bullying mentality.” He said the Iranian people would not bow to pressure or surrender.

At the beginning of Pezeshkian’s speech, the US delegation walked out of the General Assembly hall. He then displayed several photographs while accusing the United States of targeting Iranian civilians. Iran has claimed that an attack on a school in Minab killed children and teachers. Washington, however, has disputed aspects of Iran’s account of the attacks.

A major focus of Pezeshkian’s speech was Iran’s position on the Strait of Hormuz.

He said it was unacceptable for other countries to benefit from the strategic waterway while Iranian vessels were denied access. He called for the lifting of the US blockade on Iranian ports and the restoration of access for Iranian vessels through the Strait as part of any potential agreement.

Earlier, a senior Iranian official said Tehran was prepared to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within seven days if the United States reduced military pressure and lifted its blockade of Iranian ports. According to the official, the proposal had also been conveyed to Washington through intermediaries.

However, the positions of Iran and the United States remain far apart. At the same time, indirect communication between the two sides continues through intermediaries. The key question now is whether the UN General Assembly can create a new opening for diplomacy.

Pezeshkian also reaffirmed Iran’s position on its nuclear program. He said Tehran would not give up its right to pursue a peaceful nuclear program, while reiterating that Iran would not seek to develop nuclear weapons.

With Trump issuing military threats and Tehran maintaining a defiant position, Iran is simultaneously setting conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz while keeping the door open to negotiations. The focus now remains on whether the escalating rhetoric will eventually give way to diplomacy—or whether the conflict will spread further across the Middle East.