Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian used his address to the United Nations General Assembly to cast his nation as a victim of American and Israeli terrorism, but his message was met with a starkly different narrative outside the hall. More than a thousand demonstrators gathered near the UN, chanting that Pezeshkian himself should be arrested as a terrorist and waving the green, white, and red flags of the Iranian resistance. The protests, held over two days, underscored the deep divide between the regime's official stance and the voices of those who say the Islamic Republic has brutally oppressed its people for decades.
«The president of Iran speaks and lies over and over again. He is a murderer. He is a terrorist,» former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani told the crowd. He argued that negotiating with the Iranian government is futile, comparing it to attempting an agreement with Hitler. Other former high-level officials echoed that sentiment, condemning what they described as a radical regime that has savagely butchered its own citizens. Estimates suggest that upwards of 20,000 protesters who took to the streets in Iran earlier this year demanding freedom have been murdered by the government, and reports of executions of political prisoners continue to surface each week.
Retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, who has served in both Trump administrations, told the gathering that the time has come to free Iran from the mullahs. He pointed to a roadmap for a secular, non-nuclear Republic of Iran that would rejoin the free world as a friend. Former US Ambassador Marc Ginsberg urged Congress to pass the «Maximum Support Act,» legislation designed to crack down on Iran's resources, confiscate the assets of the government, and support internet freedom so that the Iranian people can organize and have a voice. «All you have to do, President Trump, is to provide the funding and the support that we need, the tools the Iranian people need,» Ginsberg said, framing such assistance as a way to accelerate an exit ramp from war and bolster what he called Iran's arsenal of democracy.
Maryam Rajavi, president-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, which sponsored the protest, addressed the rally via video message. «The people of Iran have rejected every form of dictatorship, whether religious or monarchical,» she said. «The voice of protest from Iran's oppressed people is being heard. The voice rejects the continued occupation of Iran's seat by religious fanatics,» she added, referring to the regime's membership in the United Nations. Her remarks highlighted the NCRI's longstanding campaign to delegitimize the Iranian government on the world stage.
Alireza Jafarzadeh, deputy director of the NCRI's Washington office, told Fox News that the regime only responds to firmness and decisiveness, making sanctions and external pressure the only viable solution. «The regime is incapable of reform and change. If they were able, they would have done it a long time ago,» he said. «The real solution for Iran is change by the people of Iran. They can have any talks, any concessions, none of that is going to change the behavior of the regime.» He emphasized that the real Iran is represented by its people and that genuine change must come from within.
The rally's message to UN diplomats remained consistent throughout the two-day event: the international community must not legitimize a government that protesters say is responsible for widespread bloodshed. As Pezeshkian's speech unfolded inside the assembly hall, the chants outside made clear that for many Iranians and their supporters, the call for a free Iran will not be silenced. The demonstration served as a reminder that the debate over Iran's place in the world extends far beyond diplomatic chambers, resonating with those who demand accountability and fundamental change.