Iran President Pezeshkian at UNGA 2026: Tehran’s Demands on Nuclear Program, Strait of Hormuz and US War 

When Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian stepped up to the podium at the UN General Assembly in New York on September 23, he had two messages for Washington: Iran isn’t backing down, and the door to diplomacy isn’t closed. The timing matters. The United States and Iran are still locked in a serious conflict, and two issues stand in the way of any settlement: Tehran’s nuclear programme and the Strait of Hormuz.

“We have a right to peaceful nuclear technology”

Pezeshkian was blunt: Iran will not give up its civilian nuclear programme. He said Tehran isn’t chasing nuclear weapons, and that it shouldn’t face limits beyond what its stated peaceful goals require. He also pointed to what he called a double standard on nuclear capabilities in the Middle East. That’s a hard sell in Washington, which has said again and again that Iran cannot be allowed to have a nuclear weapon. Tehran says its nuclear work is purely peaceful. Until those two positions move closer, this will remain the sticking point in any talks.

Hormuz: the bargaining chip the world is watching

The Strait of Hormuz was the other big theme. Pezeshkian said Iran can’t accept unrestricted passage through the waterway for countries that, in its view, use it to support military action against Iran. His comments followed signals from Iranian officials that the strait could reopen within days if Washington eases military pressure and lifts its naval blockade. Reuters reported that Iran had offered to reopen it within a week on those terms. This isn’t just a regional story. Hormuz is one of the world’s most important energy corridors, so trouble there ripples out into oil supplies, shipping costs and energy prices in Asia, Europe and beyond.

What Tehran is asking for

Iran’s list of conditions for diplomacy is fairly clear:

• An end to the war
• An end to U.S. military pressure and the naval blockade
• The release of Iranian assets
• Arrangements covering shipping through the Strait of Hormuz

Pezeshkian added that Iran is willing to negotiate, but not under what he called a language of force.

Talks are quietly happening

Despite the sharp rhetoric, diplomacy hasn’t stopped. U.S. and Iranian officials held indirect talks in New York, with Qatar mediating, around the UNGA meetings. No breakthrough was announced, but the fact that the channel is open is worth noting.

Why it matters beyond the region

A prolonged disruption at Hormuz could hit energy markets and global shipping. Meanwhile, the unresolved nuclear dispute makes any long-term security arrangement in the Middle East harder to build. For ordinary people far from the conflict, that could show up as higher fuel and transport costs and general economic uncertainty. The big question now is whether the contacts around the General Assembly can produce a framework both sides can live with. Pezeshkian’s speech made Iran’s position clear: it will talk, but it intends to keep its nuclear programme and its leverage over Hormuz. Those competing positions are the real challenge for any U.S.-Iran deal.

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