Iran President delivers defiant UN speech

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian delivered a defiant speech at the United Nations as his government downplayed talks with the US.

Pezeshkian addressed world leaders a day after US President Donald Trump used the same stage to suggest that he might "annihilate" the Islamic Republic if an agreement was not reached soon to end the nearly seven-month war.

Delivering a rare wartime speech at the UN General Assembly, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian displayed images of the his country's late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and more than 150 schoolchildren killed in the opening days of the conflict with the US and Israel.

"We have only defended ourselves. We are not terrorists," he said.

"Our innocent people have been the targets of cowardly attacks and aggressions imposed upon our country."

Turning to the US, Pezeshkian added: "Yes, they did hit us, but we did not bend the knee."

Pezeshkian addressed world leaders a day after US President Donald Trump used the same stage to suggest that he might "annihilate" the Islamic Republic if an agreement was not reached soon to end the nearly seven-month war.

Hours later, Trump touted "a very good meeting" between his chief envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, and Iranian officials.

Tehran, however, downplayed the talks. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said they were "not anything new."

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also downplayed the talks.

He said: "The US always remains open to talking to almost anyone in the world about a conflict or a crisis or some disagreement that we may have. So if there's an opportunity to exchange ideas and messages, we will, and that's what largely yesterday was. It was positive in that regard. But ultimately, you know, I don't want to mischaracterise this as a major breakthrough, but at the same time, I think it was significant that at least there was a conversation.

Iranian President Pezeshkian also held meetings with the leaders of Norway, Switzerland, Iraq and Bangladesh on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

Pezeshkian presented Swiss President Guy Parmelin with a book titled "US Aid to the People of Iran."

Iranian media outlet SNNTV, which posted video of the meeting on Telegram, said the book documents what it describes as US "crimes" against the Iranian people, including sanctions, military attacks and the assassinations of Iranian scientists and military commanders.