Iran president vows to 'firmly defend' country's positions at UN

TEHRAN, Sept 22: Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian on Tuesday vowed to "firmly defend" his country's positions, as he departed for New York to attend the UN 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 flying out of Iran, according to footage broadcast by state television.

The president is due to speak at the UN meeting 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.

Pezeshkian will be the highest-ranking Iranian official to set foot on American soil since the start of the Middle East war, which began in late February with US-Israeli strikes on Iran.

The United States has approved the UN visits for part of the Iranian delegation despite the war, but the group will be subject to movement restrictions, according to the US State Department.�"AFP