Iran's Rezaei Calls Trump's UN Speech a Clumsy Defense of a Defeated Aggressor

In an interview with Iran's national broadcaster IRIB on Wednesday, Major General Mohsen Rezaei criticized US President Donald Trump's recent speech at the United Nations General Assembly, describing it as a "clumsy and foolish defense of an accused war criminal and defeated aggressor against world public opinion." The remarks were reported by Press TV and carried by Mehr News. Rezaei's comments came as the United States seeks to use the UN platform to rally Western support for its economic siege and naval blockade against Iran.

Addressing the General Assembly on Tuesday, Trump threatened to "annihilate" Iran if Tehran did not agree to a deal ending the war of aggression that the US and Israel jointly launched against the Islamic Republic on February 28. "I have a big decision to make," Trump told world leaders. "Will a deal be made with Iran that lets them rebuild and create a far greater country than it ever was before? Or do I annihilate the Islamic Republic and do it quickly?" He also warned he could "drive them into hell with no chance of survival and no hope of future greatness or generations." In response, the general staff and central command of Iran's Armed Forces, the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, issued a joint statement on Wednesday dismissing Trump's threat as "strategic desperation" and a tool of domestic political propaganda. The statement said the hostile remarks were aimed at justifying aggression and warned that Iranian forces are prepared to deliver "even harsher, crushing, and unpredictable blows" against the US and Israel if new attacks are launched.

Rezaei said Trump's address was a historical mistake, adding that the American president appeared on the world stage looking like a "defeated criminal" desperately trying to defend himself. "This is the first US president whose entire speech revolves around Iran, which is proof that Iran has become the biggest problem for US policy. This could not have been achieved without the greatness of Iran," he said. He claimed US media largely ignored or muted the president's remarks because his policies generate only costs, and noted that Trump has recorded the steepest drop in popularity of any US president. Rezaei drew a distinction between Iran's defensive posture and the campaigns waged by Washington and Tel Aviv. "Since the beginning of the Islamic Revolution, we have not attacked anyone; we have only defended ourselves," he said, adding that Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have created the world's most severe terrorism. He referenced the killing of schoolchildren in Minab and asked who the real terrorists are.

Rezaei also detailed what he described as unprecedented military victories during the US-Israeli war, including the downing of an F-35, the grounding of US AWACS surveillance planes, damage to US military assets in Bahrain and at Diego Garcia, the detonation of a missile over the USS George Washington aircraft carrier, and the capture of a valuable American submarine that Iranian specialists are reverse-engineering. He said Iran has reached a new strategic peak and will not return to pre-war negotiations. According to Rezaei, Iran has drafted seven conditions for resolving the conflict, which have been shared with Pakistan, Qatar, and Iraq, and were decided upon after a high-level meeting with President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. He stated that until these conditions are met, the Strait of Hormuz will not be opened and Iran will not negotiate, emphasizing that the Americans are not trustworthy and must build trust first. He also warned regional countries against joining the US adventure, saying that if Iranian planes are not allowed to travel, their airports will also not have flights. On Yemen, he reaffirmed Iran's support for the Yemeni people's independent decision-making and said Iran does not want a war between Saudi Arabia and Yemen. According to Mehr News, Rezaei concluded that Iran seeks regional stability but remains fully prepared to defend its sovereignty against any foreign aggression.