Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian delivered a fiery speech on Wednesday, sharply rebuking U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent claims that Iran fuels regional instability.

Speaking to a large crowd in Kermanshah, western Iran, Pezeshkian accused the U.S. of hypocrisy and destabilizing the Middle East through its policies and arms exports.

In response to Trump’s Riyadh speech, Pezeshkian challenged Washington’s narrative, questioning, “Did we kill 60,000 women and children in Gaza within a year? Did we cut off water, bread, and medicine from those poor people? Are we the threat?” He criticized the U.S. for supplying weapons to the region while claiming to seek peace, stating, “You want the countries of this region to turn on each other by handing out bombs and missiles, and then you say you are peace-seekers?”

Pezeshkian also referenced the 2020 U.S. assassination of General Qassem Soleimani, hailing him as a hero who fought ISIS, which he alleged was “trained, supported, and nurtured” by the U.S. He vowed that Iran’s resolve would remain unbroken, declaring, “If they martyr our great figures, hundreds more will rise from this land.”

Addressing Iran’s resilience under U.S.-led sanctions, Pezeshkian asserted, “For 47 years, they’ve used all their power to try to bring this system and this people to their knees, and they couldn’t.” He claimed that no other nation could endure the pressure Iran has faced, adding, “If it had been put on any other country, it wouldn’t have lasted 24 hours.”

The president also condemned Trump’s proposal to rename the Persian Gulf as the “Gulf of Arabia,” calling it a provocative attack on Iran’s historical identity. “That name is part of our history and our pride,” he said.

Pezeshkian’s speech underscored Iran’s defiance amid economic and diplomatic challenges, framing the nation as a victim of unjust aggression while reaffirming its commitment to regional dignity and resistance against external interference. (ILKHA)