Iran spews ‘propaganda’ from UN podium, calls on Middle East to unite behind Tehran

In a speech to the 79th United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian claimed to be the peacemaker in the Middle East, while accusing Israel of supporting terrorism.

Pezeshkian called on the UN to “investigate” modern history, saying: “Iran has never initiated a war. It has only heroically defended itself from external aggression, making the aggressors regret their actions,” Pezeshkian said, adding that Iran does not “occupy” territory or exploit resources for other countries.

“It has repeatedly made various proposals to its neighbors and international forums aimed at establishing lasting peace and stability,” he said. “We have stressed the importance of regional unity and establishing a strong region.”

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian walks on the sidelines of the 79th United Nations General Assembly at the UN headquarters in New York, U.S., September 24, 2024. (REUTERS/Caitlin Ochs)

UN SILENT AS GUTERRES CALLS FOR RELEASE OF HOSTAGE, RECEIVES ‘THUNDEROUS’ APPLAUSE IN GAZA

Iran’s claims to be a peace broker in the Middle East stand in stark contrast to its repeated involvement in proxy wars in the region, including its heavy involvement in Syria and Yemen, which has only widened the divide between Iran and other powerful Sunni countries, such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

But Iran’s deep involvement in the Middle East also extends to another area that a nation state does not typically concern itself with: terrorism.

Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian addresses the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Tuesday, September 24, 2024. (AP photo/Pamela Smith)

While Pezeshkian claimed from the podium on Tuesday that Israel supports the Islamic State both “covertly and openly,” it is common knowledge that Tehran not only supports terrorist organizations that are fiercely opposed to Israel, such as Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis, but has also helped build bridges between the Taliban and al-Qaeda, providing the terrorist networks with weapons, money and even safe haven.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran wants to ensure its own security, not to create insecurity for others,” Pezeshkian also asserted. “We want peace for everyone, and do not seek war or quarrel with anyone.”

Iran, which has also increasingly aligned itself with key Western hostiles such as Russia and North Korea, claimed it has not taken sides in Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine, despite supplying Moscow with drones and, most recently, short-range ballistic missiles for its war efforts.

Firefighters extinguish a fire in trucks at a site where a warehouse was hit by a Russian drone strike, during the Russian attack on Ukraine, in the village of Murovane, outside Lviv, Ukraine, Sept. 6, 2024. (Press service of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine/Handout via REUTERS)

“We strive for lasting peace and security for the people of Ukraine and Russia. The Islamic Republic of Iran opposes war and emphasizes the urgent need to end military hostilities in Ukraine. We support all peaceful solutions and believe that dialogue is the only way to resolve this crisis,” the Iranian president said.

KIRBY SAILS HAMAS LEADER SINWAR AS ‘THE BIGGEST OBSTACLE’ TO AN AGREEMENT WITH ISRAEL ON THE RELEASE OF HOSTAGES

“We need a new paradigm to address global challenges. Such a paradigm must focus on opportunities, rather than obsessing over perceived threats,” he added.

Pezeshkian called on “neighboring and brotherly countries” to unite with Iran to achieve the best for the Middle East.

The Iranian president also spoke directly to the US, saying Tehran wants to “transcend” past obstacles and move forward with Washington despite its withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal under President Trump and subsequent sanctions and trade restrictions that have largely cut the country off from the rest of the world.

“My message to all states pursuing a counterproductive strategy toward Iran is that they should learn from history,” Pezeshkian said, before calling the US sanctions a “crime against humanity.”

“We have an opportunity to transcend these limitations and enter a new era,” he added.

This photo, taken from a position in northern Israel, shows a Hezbollah unmanned aircraft intercepted by the Israeli Air Force over northern Israel on August 25, 2024. (JALAA MAREY/AFP via Getty Images)

But Pezeshkian’s comments rang hollow to some and, according to Behnam Ben Taleblu, an Iran expert and senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, were full of “propaganda.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“Short but certainly not sweet,” he told Fox News Digital. “Pezeshkian held out the prospect of a renewed diplomatic agreement, something his regime will use as a literal shield against pressure over its expanding nuclear program and a justification against supporting a multi-front war against Israel.”

“By blaming former President Trump in his speech and bringing along technocratic personnel who were involved in the JCPOA in 201(8), Pezeshkian hopes to win support among certain groups in Washington and Europe and start running the clock against SnapBack, which expires in 2025,” Ben Taleblu added. But despite Pezeshkian’s sugar-coated remarks about renewing diplomatic talks with the US, they are not expected to win much favor with either side of the political spectrum as the country continues to ramp up its development of nuclear weapons.