Setting aside his prepared text at the podium, Pezeshkian responded directly to accusations leveled a day earlier by the US president labeling Iran a sponsor of terrorism.
"Yesterday, the US president called us terrorists; we are the victims of terrorism," Pezeshkian said. "I come from an Iran whose leader was assassinated without legal justification or rationale. I come from an Iran where schools were bombed and innocent children were slaughtered with weapons they had done nothing to deserve."
Pezeshkian highlighted strikes against civilian infrastructure, pointing to the bombing of a sports hall in Lamerd, a southern Iranian town, where children were exercising when hit by cluster munitions dispersing thousands of fragments.
"They martyred our scientists, civilians, women, and innocent children. Yet those who perpetrate terrorism and cultivate terrorists dare to call us terrorists," he stated.
"We are merely defending ourselves; we are not terrorists," the president emphasized. "Our only 'offense' is standing firm against unprovoked attacks inflicted upon our nation. The United States and Israel attacked us with advanced technology, and our people resisted. But unlike our adversaries, we did not target civilians. Striking our schools, hospitals, universities, bridges, and infrastructure is a flagrant violation of international law."
Recalling the assassination of Hamas political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on his first day in office, Pezeshkian also drew attention to the ongoing conflict in Gaza, noting that over 80,000 innocent people have been killed and hundreds of thousands displaced. "They commit genocide with cutting-edge weaponry, yet turn around and label others as terrorists and drivers of instability," he remarked.
The Iranian president underlined the necessity of defense capabilities in a fractured global order: "A nation unable to defend itself will be crushed. Today, the world powers, rather than prioritizing humanity, justice, and democracy, unleash destruction and label anyone who resists as a terrorist."
"Iran has never initiated aggression against any country; our posture has always been self-defense," Pezeshkian reiterated. "Iran must be powerful enough that its survival and progress cannot be threatened, yet responsible enough never to pursue hegemony or seek its own security at the expense of its neighbors."
Addressing Iran's deterrence capabilities, Pezeshkian issued a clear warning: "We built our defense systems so that no one presumes bombing Iranian cities will go unanswered. Our military power is strictly defensive, but we seek permission from no one to protect our nation."
On the nuclear issue, Pezeshkian insisted that nuclear technology represents an inalienable right to development, providing critical medical treatments, agricultural security, and baseload electricity.
"Iran rejects the notion that nuclear knowledge is the exclusive monopoly of a few powers. Iran does not view nuclear weapons as a source of security, but will never forfeit its right to science, industry, and peaceful energy. We state unequivocally: neither nuclear weapons, nor deprivation of nuclear knowledge," he asserted.
"Iran’s nuclear file cannot be resolved on the battlefield," Pezeshkian stated. "The solution lies in an agreement that offers the international community credible assurances regarding the peaceful nature of Iran's program while safeguarding the rights of the Iranian people. We live in a region where conflict knows no borders; Iran does not view its neighbors as rivals to its security. We want our neighbors to be strong."