Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian gifted a book titled ‘American Aid to the Iranian People’ to Swiss President Guy Parmelin during their meeting on the sidelines
of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session, highlighting the alleged US war crimes. The book was presented during the meeting between the two leaders at the UN in New York. The choice of title appeared to carry a diplomatic message, coming amid heightened tensions between Iran and the United States. Pezeshkian and Parmelin discussed bilateral relations and international developments during their interaction.
President Pezeshkian presented the book "American Aid to the Iranian People" to the President of Switzerland.
The book is a collection of photographs documenting U.S. crimes against the Iranian people. pic.twitter.com/c8ZePIRnm9— Iran in India (@Iran_in_India) September 23, 2026
The meeting took place against the backdrop of ongoing diplomatic efforts surrounding the conflict involving Iran and the US. Notably, Pezeshkian has repeatedly called for diplomacy and dialogue to resolve disputes with Western countries while maintaining Tehran’s position on issues concerning its sovereignty and national interests.
Pezeshkian’s UNGA Address:
In his address, Pezeshkian accused the United States and Israel of carrying out attacks against Iran and referred to what he described as the bombing of a school in which children were killed. Pezeshkian said those victims were civilians who had committed no crime.
The Iranian President also referred to the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader, describing the leader as having been “assassinated without any legal framework or reason”. His remarks came against the backdrop of the wider confrontation between Iran, Israel, and the United States.
The Iranian President told the UNGA Assembly that Iran had not attacked any country or territory for the past two centuries, presenting Tehran as a state that has consistently acted in self-defence rather than pursued territorial aggression. “For the past two centuries, Iran has not attacked any country or any territory, but we've always defended ourselves steadfastly,” Pezeshkian said during his UNGA address.
Pezeshkian rejected the portrayal of Iran as a source of instability or terrorism, arguing that Tehran does not seek to establish regional dominance.
“We don’t wish to use our power for hegemony, and we don’t seek our security in the insecurity of others,” he said. He added that Iran did not regard its neighbours as security rivals and instead wanted them to become stronger. “We want to have strong neighbors,” he said.
Pezeshkian reiterated Iran’s stand of not giving up peaceful nuclear technology. He said Tehran does not seek to build a nuclear weapon but will not accept restrictions on what he described as Iran’s inherent right to peaceful nuclear technology.
Pezeshkian also pushed back against US President Donald Trump’s description of Iran as a terrorist state, arguing that Tehran had itself been the target of terrorism. “Yesterday, Trump described us as terrorists. We have been the victims of terrorism,” the Iranian president told the General Assembly.
