The U.S. delegation left the UN General Assembly hall during Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian’s speech on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, at the UN headquarters in New York.
Footage from inside the hall showed U.S. representatives leaving their seats as the Iranian president began addressing the leaders and representatives of member states.
Reuters confirmed that the U.S. delegation left the hall at the beginning of Pezeshkian’s speech, while the U.S. Mission to the United Nations did not immediately comment on the reasons for the departure.
The departure came as relations between Washington and Tehran faced sharp tensions, one day after U.S. President Donald Trump addressed the General Assembly and devoted part of his speech to Iran.
Most members of the Iranian delegation had likewise left the hall during Trump’s speech the previous day when the U.S. president spoke about Iran.
Pezeshkian responds to U.S. accusations
During his speech, Pezeshkian rejected Washington’s accusations that Tehran supports terrorism and said that Iranians had been “victims of terrorism.” He also displayed before the General Assembly photographs he said showed Iranian victims killed in the attacks.
The Iranian president said his country would not surrender to pressure, while stressing that Tehran still believes in dialogue and diplomacy to end the conflict.
Pezeshkian also addressed Iran’s nuclear program and tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, reaffirming his country’s commitment to what it considers its right to the peaceful use of nuclear technology.
The U.S. delegation’s departure came amid continuing sharp disputes between the United States and Iran over the war, sanctions, the nuclear program and security conditions in the region.
