Iran president set to speak at United Nations as Netanyahu visit nears
NEW YORK CITY -- World leaders are gathering Wednesday for another day of speeches at the United Nations General Assembly, where attention is expected to focus on remarks from Iran's president and an upcoming address by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
President Masoud Pezeshkian is expected to address the assembly a day after President Donald Trump's address, where he said he had a "big decision to make."
"Will a deal be made with Iran that lets them rebuild and create a far greater country than it ever was before, maybe one of the greatest in the Middle East or even the world?" Trump said. "Or do I annihilate the Islamic Republic and do it quickly, never giving them a chance to kill and destroy people and countries again?"
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Pezeshkian address will mark the first time a leader of a country in active conflict with the United States has spoken at the United Nations.
A rally in support of Israel is also planned Wednesday outside UN headquarters.
Netanyahu is scheduled to speak Thursday, and his appearance comes amid an escalating public dispute with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
On Tuesday, Netanyahu responded to Mamdani in a video posted on social media ahead of his visit to New York.
"Shame on you for inciting riots against New York Jews. I'm coming to the UN, I'm going to tell the truth about our heroic soldiers, and I'm going to tell the truth about you," Netanyahu said.
Mamdani rejected the criticism.
"Well, we all know that what the prime minister said in that video is not true. What we do know to actually be the truth when it comes to the prime minister is that he is the subject of an International Criminal Court warrant for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity. And as the prime minister, he is the architect of the horrific genocide against Palestinians. And that just a few days ago, his military killed an 11-year-old boy in what is deemed to be a safe zone in Gaza. So, that is what I have to say to his video," Mamdani said.
Israeli officials appear to be limiting Netanyahu's time in New York. He is expected to arrive late Wednesday night ahead of his Thursday speech.
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