Trump’s Delegation Runs Out…

The Trump administration’s United Nations delegation walked out during a speech by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, who was holding up photographs of children and teachers killed in U.S.-backed strikes. The walkout came as Pezeshkian directly addressed Donald Trump’s characterization of Iran as terrorists, saying, “We have been the victims of terrorism.” The episode unfolded against a backdrop of escalating military confrontation in the Strait of Hormuz, a direct Chinese rejection of U.S. sanctions on Iranian airlines, and a White House that appears more focused on renaming Ford’s Theater and preparing an extravagant welcome for China’s Xi Jinping than on managing a deteriorating international position.

The UN Walkout and the Strait of Hormuz

Iran’s president used his United Nations address to push back against Trump’s claim that Iran is a terrorist state. Pezeshkian held up photos of children killed in a school bombing in Lamer and teachers murdered in Minab, saying, “These children perished under bombs with weapons used by the United States and Israel.” He then told Trump directly: “We are ready for dialogue and diplomacy and negotiations without accepting the language of force. The resistance of the Iranian people will only increase in the face of sanctions, increased pressure, increased bullying. We will never bow our head or bend at the knee.”