Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Tuesday pledged to “firmly defend” his country’s positions as he travelled to New York for the United Nations General Assembly.
“We emerged with our heads held high, and this is a source of dignity and pride for all of us. Therefore, we will firmly defend our positions in international forums,” he said before departing Iran, according to footage aired by state television.
Pezeshkian is scheduled to address the UN gathering on Wednesday.
“We will make the best possible use of this opportunity to convey Iran’s plight to the international community. We will firmly tell our adversaries that, despite all the unfairness and injustices, the Iranian people have stood their ground,” he said.
The Iranian president is set to become the highest-ranking official from Tehran to visit the United States since the Middle East war began in late February following US-Israeli strikes on Iran.
Despite the ongoing conflict, the United States has authorised UN travel for some members of the Iranian delegation. However, they will face movement restrictions, according to the US State Department.
Members of Pezeshkian’s communications team were not granted visas and have therefore been barred from travelling with the delegation.
Iranian presidential spokesman Habibollah Abbassi described the decision as “hostile”, according to local media reports.
The strategic Strait of Hormuz remains a major point of contention between Tehran and Washington.
Shipping through the key maritime route, which handled one-fifth of the world’s hydrocarbons before the war, has been significantly disrupted. Iran has fired on commercial vessels and demanded approval for ships seeking to pass through the waterway.
The United States, meanwhile, is maintaining a counterblockade of Iranian ports while increasing economic pressure on Tehran.