Iran wants peace, Israel wants war - Pezeshkian at UN

The prisoners are protesting the escalating number of executions in Iran and calling for the release of all political and ideological detainees, added the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter.

Dissidents and rights groups have criticized the Iranian government’s ongoing crackdown on political dissent and human rights violations which persist under the new Pezeshkian administration.

Iranian activists are due to protest outside UN headquarters and are calling on UNGA attendees to walk out during Pezeshkian’s speech.

"Hosting Masoud Pezeshkian, a known affiliate of the IRGC, at the United Nations General Assembly grants unwarranted legitimacy to a regime responsible for systemic human rights violations over decades," several Iranian activist groups said in a joint statement on Monday.

"Such recognition not only undermines the demands of the Iranian people for justice and regime change but also signals international tolerance of these atrocities. We respectfully urge all dignitaries to take a principled stand by walking out during Pezeshkian’s speech".

Crackdown on slain protesters' families a day before Pezeshkian's UNGA address

Pezeshkian’s UNGA address in New York comes amid a sharp increase in state repression back home around the second anniversary of the Woman Life Freedom uprising sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody in September 2022.

On Monday, Iranian security forces surrounded the home of Gohar Eshghi, mother of Sattar Beheshti, a blogger who died under torture in 2012.

Eshghi had announced plans for a sit-in at the UN office in Tehran to protest the Islamic Republic's continued pressure on the families of slain protesters. Security forces blocked her from leaving her home, illustrating the Iranian government’s intensified efforts to silence dissent.

In a show of international solidarity, a group of Iranian expatriates gathered outside the Swedish Parliament in Stockholm to support families like those of Gohar Eshghi and Mina Soltani, the mother of slain Iranian protestor, Shahryar Mohammadi who remains in detention. The protestors called on global leaders to stand with the victims of state violence in Iran.

Iran’s security forces on Monday arrested Amirhossein Haghjouyan, the cousin of the executed dissident Reza Rasaei, in Sahneh, Kermanshah Province. Rasaei's execution in August was the first protest-related execution since Pezeshkian took office.

Two mothers of victims of Iran's November 2019 protests, Mahboubeh Ramezani and Rahimeh Yousefzadeh, were also sentenced to 18 months and one day in prison, their lawyer Reza Shafakhah announced on Monday.

“The government is escalating pressure on the victims' families through collective arrests and summoning grieving families by security agencies, aiming to prevent them from commemorating their lost loved ones—a move it fears could trigger further unrest,” US-based Abdorrahman Boroumand Center warned in a statement on X Monday.

New President, old problems

Under Pezeshkian’s administration, executions in Iran have surged.

There was been a marked increase in executions and in August 2024 alone over 50 people were executed including a mass execution of 22 prisoners in Ghezel Hesar Prison.

While Pezeshkian has criticized the methods of the morality police during his campaign, the enforcement of strict hijab laws continues under his administration as officials insist hijab patrols will persist.

Last week, the UN Fact-Finding Mission on Iran highlighted persistent human rights violations, particularly targeting women.

The Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI), a US-based group, said in a statement on Monday that Pezeshkian must be questioned on the country's rights abuses at the UNGA, which the UN has described as "crimes against humanity.”

“The president of Iran is free to travel to New York, while his government keeps thousands behind bars for peacefully criticizing the state’s repressive policies,” said Hadi Ghaemi, executive director of the Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI).

“The world must not allow its attention to be diverted from the human rights crisis in Iran, or more women, children and men will remain unjustly imprisoned, face torture, and be sent to the gallows,” Ghaemi added

Apart from human rights concerns, Pezeshkian faces criticism over deepening economic inequality, widespread poverty and poor workers' rights.

As he prepares for his UN speech from a $1,000-per-night hotel, Iranians mourn the loss of over fifty coal miners in an explosion in Tabas on Sunday, whose combined wages for five months equal just one night of his stay, sparking renewed debate among Iranians over workers' rights and economic justice in the country.

Religious minorities have also expressed criticism, with the Baha’i International Community (BIC) issuing a statement on Monday expressing concern over the ongoing persecution of the Baha’i community in Iran.

While acknowledging Pezeshkian’s recent promises to respect the rights of ethnic and religious minorities, the BIC pointed out that no meaningful action followed, citing ongoing arrests, raids, and the exclusion of Baha’is from universities.

“The president’s words of unity and equality ring hollow while Baha’is continue to face systemic discrimination and repression,” said Simin Fahandej, the BIC’s representative.

The editorial, penned by Hossein Shariatmadari, managing editor of Kayhan and representative of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei at the newspaper, claimed that the reformist figures who advised President Pezeshkian to hold such "humiliating meetings" with US leaders might be plotting against him.

Shariatmadari also criticized media outlets aligned with “reformists” for suggesting that Pezeshkian meet with US presidential candidates Donald Trump and Kamala Harris.

Pezeshkian, who arrived in New York on Sunday for the 79th session of the UN General Assembly, emphasized his commitment to “diplomacy and global peace” in a statement upon his arrival. He stated, "Instead of bloodshed and war, we must create a world where all people can live comfortably."

In his editorial, Shariatmadari linked the proposal to a broader critique of US actions against Tehran, citing the killing of former IRGC Quds Force Commander Qasem Soleimani, ongoing sanctions, Washington's withdrawal from the JCPOA, and its failure to acknowledge Pezeshkian’s election. He suggested that the advice might be motivated by a desire to take "revenge for Ebrahim Raisi's revolutionary positions."

The editorial also accused a faction within Iran of seeking to align the country with the US and Western powers, even 45 years after the 1979 revolution. Shariatmadari described these individuals as "Western puppets hiding within the Islamic Republic."

However, Pezeshkian said that his trip to New York was focused on “promoting values that the UN itself claims to uphold.” He challenged the organization “to demonstrate its commitment to these values through actions, not just words.” Pezeshkian also added that his objective at the UN is “to counter negative portrayals of the Islamic Republic.”

Pezeshkian said that “Iran is much safer and freer than its critics suggest,” adding that he would engage with the Iranian diaspora and work to “neutralize” what he described as a misleading image of Iran that is presented in the West. "Reality is not what they present through television screens, podiums, or international forums," Pezeshkian stated.

On Saturday, some news websites including Modara and Tejarat News reported that Pezeshkian was accompanied by a delegation, consisting of 35 to 40 individuals, including his two sons, daughter, and son-in-law.

Fada-Hossein Maleki, a member of Iran's Parliamentary National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, suggested that Pezeshkian’s interviews with Western media during his visit to New York could influence the US elections.

Before departing for New York, Pezeshkian accused the UN of “failing to fulfill its responsibilities,” particularly in addressing what he called "Israel’s crimes."

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who arrived in New York ahead of Pezeshkian, participated in meetings on the sidelines of the General Assembly, focusing on the ongoing conflict between Israel and Gaza. Araghchi met with high-level officials from Kuwait, Bahrain, and the Gulf Cooperation Council, discussing regional stability, security, and Israel’s actions in Gaza and southern Lebanon. He also held talks with representatives from the UN, including officials responsible for humanitarian aid to Gaza, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and the UN’s Syria envoy.

On September 19, Reuters, citing three Iranian officials, reported that Pezeshkian, on his first trip to the West since his election, would carry a message signaling that "Tehran is open to diplomacy", while emphasizing that Tehran will not bow to pressure.

The report anticipated that Iranian and European officials at the UN would discuss potential pathways for returning to diplomatic efforts concerning Iran's nuclear program, while also aiming to ease tensions with Israel. However, there has been no indication of interest from Europe or the US in resuming negotiations.

Pezeshkian is set to address the UN General Assembly on Tuesday during the opening day of the high-level General Debate session.

In response to Michael D. Higgins' allegations, the Israeli embassy in Dublin denied the claim, calling the Irish president's comments “highly inflammatory and potentially slanderous.”

Higgins made the comments in New York, where he is attending a UN summit, while responding to questions from journalists about the criticism he faced for sending the letter to Pezeshkian.

When pressed by the Irish Independent about the source of the criticism, Higgins suggested the letter had been leaked by the Israeli embassy, asking: "Why don’t you ask where it came from? … Where the criticism came from and how the letter was circulated and by whom and for what purpose?"

He later added, "It was circulated from the Israeli embassy." Higgins also noted that he was unsure how Israeli authorities had obtained the letter and pointed out that Israel’s ambassador to Ireland, Dana Erlich, had been recalled and was unavailable for consultation.

Erlich, who was recalled in May following Ireland’s recognition of a Palestinian state, has not returned to her post. Earlier this month, the embassy expressed hope that Erlich would resume her duties in Dublin "under more friendly conditions."

In its statement the Israeli embassy said, “Since the October 7 invasion by Hamas and the massacre in Israel, we have faced a surge in malicious statements and accusations, often amounting to incitement to hatred."

The Israeli embassy had also previously condemned the Higgins' letter, stating that sending the congratulatory letter to Masoud Pezeshkian could have “served as an opportunity” to challenge what it described as a “theocratic dictatorship that oppresses its own people, especially women," and to raise concerns about their policies and actions.

Responding to the criticism, Higgins described the letter as a "standard" diplomatic protocol for welcoming a newly elected head of state.

He emphasized that the letter also highlighted the importance of peace and diplomacy in the Middle East. The correspondence had been leaked online in August, drawing attention.

The embassy also labeled Higgins' claim as "baseless" and "potentially slanderous," arguing that the letter did not address key concerns, such as Iran's regional threats, its calls for Israel's destruction, its support for terrorist groups like Hamas and Hezbollah, or its human rights violations against its own citizens.

Iran has maintained a long-standing enmity with Israel, characterized by decades of political hostility, military tension, and proxy conflicts. The Islamic Republic does not recognize Israel’s right to exist, with Iranian leadership, particularly Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, frequently calling for Israel's destruction. Iran has been a major supporter of anti-Israeli groups like Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza, providing them with funding, weapons, and military training.

Iran's new President has not deviated from the country’s established anti-Israel stance. A longtime figure within the Iranian political establishment, Pezeshkian is seen as aligned with the broader policies of the Islamic Republic.

A video clip posted on social media after Pezeshkian’s first press conference last week has gone viral on social media that shows some media figures confronting Pezeshkian as he was preparing to leave and questioning him about Mousavi, his wife Zahra Rahnavard, and the former Parliament Speaker Mehdi Karroubi.

The three whom hardliners invariably refer to as the “2009 sedition leaders” have been under house arrest since 2011. Speaking about their case, Pezeshkian referred to Mousavi simply as "the other one," failing to utter his name.

“As for the house arrest, Mr. Karroubi’s problem has been solved. We are working on the other one, but the view is, my view is, we need to follow up on this, but the system should not be challenged,” Pezeshkian told them.

Critics say referring to Mousavi as “the other one” was blatant disrespect.

“Someone should remind Mr. Pezeshkian that his name is not “the other one”. His name is Mir-Hossein Mousavi. [He is] the symbol of standing on the people’s side…,” Milad Alavi, a journalist with the reformist Shargh daily tweeted.

Journalist and women’s rights activist Jila Baniyaghoob also took to X to protest. “He is the only Iranian political figure who people [affectionately] called by his first name, Mir-Hossein … He is really one of a kind, a person who has not been matched by anyone, whether amongst the opposition at home or abroad,” she wrote.

Tara, a 48-year-old teacher, voted for Pezeshkian in the runoffs after boycotting the first round and has since been keeping a close eye on his actions. Like everyone else who watched the press conference on TV, she only became aware of Pezeshkian’s remarks after the broadcast through social media and was infuriated.

“More importantly, it is not just ‘the other one’. There is also Rahnavard. It’s very disappointing that Mr. Pezeshkian failed to acknowledge the brave woman who has been enduring house arrest alongside Mousavi all these years,” she told Iran International.

“It was a bad blunder. Pezeshkian should have named Mousavi too or no one at all so he wouldn’t look disrespectful or afraid of getting into trouble with Khamenei over defending Mousavi’s rights,” Hamid, 56, who also voted half-heartedly for Pezeshkian after long discussions with friends and family told Iran International, adding that in his view Pezeshkian’s press conference was very disappointing overall.

Some reformists including prominent journalist Ahmad Zeidabadi have defended Pezeshkian arguing that not referring to Mousavi by name was not meant as disrespect. “He wouldn’t have thrown himself in the minefield if he was so cowardly,” he argued.

Some others like Iranian-Canadian journalist Hossein Derakhshan have argued that Pezeshkian often refers to people by pronouns like “this” or “that”. This, Derakhshan and others say, is normal in Turki, Pezeshkian’s mother tongue, and an indication that he translates from Turki when speaking Persian.

Karroubi’s son Mohammad-Hossein on Tuesday said his father, now 86, was still under house arrest. He had said earlier his father insists that Mousavi and his wife should be simultaneously freed if authorities want to lift his own house arrest.

Karroubi supported Pezeshkian’s bid to presidency in the recent presidential elections, but Mousavi and Rahnavard rejected the ballot box taken to them at their residence although all three had voted in several elections before, including the presidential elections of 2017.

Unlike former President Hassan Rouhani, Pezeshkian has never publicly pledged to convince Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei to end the house arrest of the three leaders of the Green Movement. Nevertheless, he did not object when thousands of his supporters chanted Mousavi’s name during one of his campaign meetings.

“Referring to Mousavi as ‘the other one’, even if it was a linguistic and unconscious mistake, is an indication of how sensitive and compelling the ‘Mir-Hossein issue’ and his positions remain, after so many years of house arrest, that Pezeshkian is forced to avoid even mentioning his name,” pro-Mousavi political activist Hosein Naghashi tweeted.

Mousavi who had refrained from openly challenging Khamenei’s authority in 2009 released a short statement entitled “To Save Iran” in February 2023, after the ‘Woman, Life, Freedom’ protests spread across Iran, to pay homage to the movement and express his vision about the future.

The former premier, now 82, called for a fair and free referendum to determine whether the current constitution, which grants extraordinary powers to the Supreme Leader, should be amended or completely rewritten. He suggested that if necessary, a new constitution should be drafted, and a constitutional assembly formed to decide the future structure of the government, ultimately putting the new constitution to a public vote.

Some reformists who had likewise adhered to the belief that the Islamic Republic was reformable welcomed the more radical positions he outlined in his statement.

Many Iranians have always held Mousavi responsible for much of the wrongdoings and atrocities of the Islamic Republic during his premiership (1981-1989) including the prison purges of 1988 that were ordered by the Islamic Republic’s founder, Ruhollah Khomeini.

Mousavi has never denounced Khomeini who took his side when his differences with Khamenei, then president, developed into constant conflict. There was no mention of Khomeini and his ‘golden era’ in Mousavi’s "To Save Iran" statement .

Dubbed the "Woman, Life, Freedom" movement, nationwide demonstrations erupted in Iran after the killing of Mahsa Jina Amini while in the custody of the state’s notorious "morality police," who enforce the mandatory Islamic hijab. Over the following months, security forces killed more than 500 people and jailed tens of thousands.

In memory of the victims killed on September 21, 2022, the advocacy group Victims' Families for Transitional Justice (VFFTJ) published the names of those killed, calling it "the darkest day" of the month.

"The peak of the crackdown was two years ago today when they killed at least 55 people in a single day," said Mahsa Piraei, a member of VFFTJ, in an interview with Iran International English on Saturday. Piraei’s mother, Minoo Majidi, was fatally shot by state security forces during protests in Kermanshah, western Iran.

"Those are just the names we know," Piraei added. "Many are still too afraid to even acknowledge that their child or family member was killed," she emphasized, highlighting the ongoing fear and repression that continues to silence the families of victims.

At Amini's funeral on September 17, 2022, in Saqqez, Kurdistan province, crowds chanted anti-regime slogans, echoing the protests that had already erupted in Tehran. Fueled by widespread anger over women's rights and decades of government repression, these demonstrations quickly spread across the nation.

Soran Mansournia, a member of VFFTJ and the brother of Borhan Mansournia, who was killed during Iran’s November 2019 protests, reflected on the state’s response, describing the mass killings of protesters during two key phases of the 2022 uprising.

“During the 'Woman, Life, Freedom' movement, the number of people killed on the streets was very high in two main periods—the first in late September and the second in late November 2022," Mansournia said in an interview with Iran International English.

"In late September 2022, the government sought to scare the public by severely suppressing protesters, hoping to prevent the spread of demonstrations to other cities. This led to the killing of many Iranian citizens over two days, September 21 and 22, with at least 55 people killed on September 21 alone."

Mansournia noted that a second wave of intensified crackdowns occurred in late November 2022 when people took to the streets to mark the anniversary of the November 2019 protests, during which at least 1,500 protesters were killed by state security forces.

"By early November 2022, the protests had subsided, and a sense of downturn had set in," Mansournia recounted. "As the third anniversary of Bloody November approached, people spontaneously called for a return to the streets, especially to remember those killed in November 2019, reigniting the protests."

In response, the Islamic Republic once again unleashed its security forces. “Many people across Iran took to the streets again, and unfortunately, this resulted in yet another large number of deaths, especially in the final days of November 2022,” Mansournia said.

"These two periods—late September and late November—were the bloodiest phases of the 'Woman, Life, Freedom' movement during the six to seven months of protests," Mansournia emphasized.

Human rights organizations estimate that of the at least 551 protesters killed, 68 were children and 49 were women.

State's crackdown on victim’s families on second anniversary of slain protestors

Amid the state’s clampdown, which includes threats and arrests of victims' families—this year targeting Amini’s family as well—some managed to hold small gatherings on Saturday to commemorate the second anniversary of their loved ones killed.

The state's pressure on families continues, however, as highlighted by the recent arrest of Mina Soltani, mother of slain protester Shahryar Mohammadi, and the intimidation of many others into silence.

Piraei highlighted the state's crackdown on victims' families, attributing it to fears of renewed protests during anniversaries. "This is exactly what the authorities fear could happen again, which is why the Islamic Republic prevents victims' families from holding memorials," she said.

"The regime knows that the families of those killed have widespread support, and they fear the protests could reignite," she added.

As seen during last year’s first-anniversary protests, the crackdown has followed a familiar pattern, with ongoing detentions and increasing pressure on those trying to honor their loved ones.

On Sunday, Gohar Eshghi, the mother of Sattar Beheshti—a blogger who died under torture in custody in 2012—announced she would begin a hunger strike outside the UN office in Tehran to protest the arrests of families of slain protesters.

In a video message, Eshghi expressed her solidarity with the families of Mina Soltani, Mashallah Karami, and Pouya Bakhtiari, as well as with all the children imprisoned by the regime.

Eshghi declared, "Tomorrow, I will go on strike outside the United Nations. If [Supreme Leader]Ali Khamenei’s mercenaries don’t allow me, I will go on strike outside Imamzadeh Saleh...My life for Iran."

Notably, memorials held on Saturday saw families act in defiance of security forces, as families continue to honor their loved ones.

Maryam, the sister of Roozbeh Khademian, who was killed in Karaj during the protests, released a dove at her brother’s grave.

"Two years have passed, and the pain remains unbearable," she said. Videos of Saeed Mohammadi’s mother singing a mournful song at her son’s grave in Kermanshah were shared on social media, capturing the deep heartbreak that still lingers.

Milad Mogouyi, the brother of Mahsa Mogouyi, who was killed during the revolutionary uprising, posted a video on Instagram commemorating the second anniversary of his sister’s death. He wrote, “On the second anniversary of September 2022, when we lost so many of our loved ones, we gathered at your grave to remind you that we will remember you until our last breath, and your blood will not have been shed in vain.”

Mansournia paid tribute to 15-year-old protester Amir Hossein Basati, who was fatally shot by state security forces on September 21, 2022, by sharing a video of Basati drawing his last breaths on a pavement in Kermanshah.