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Blood on the UN podium: Iran’s president just defended genocide to an empty room

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Cite

Fard, E. (2026, September 23). Blood on the UN podium: Iran’s president just defended genocide to an empty room. Washington Examiner. https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/op-eds/4739356/iran-regime-change-masoud-pezeshkian-un-speech-reza-pahlavi/

Dated when The Aporia collected the article, usually within hours of publication. Check the original for its exact date and byline.

Washington Examiner · collected 2026-09-23 · by Erfan Fard

Quick Summary

Iran's president, Masoud Pezeshkian, addressed the United Nations amid a significant uprising against the Iranian government that began on December 28, 2025. The protests, which involved millions of people across over 300 cities and all 31 provinces, were seen as the largest revolt against Iran's religious dictatorship since the 1979 revolution. Protesters called for an alternative leader, Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, whom they view as a legitimate successor. The regime reportedly killed between 50,000 to 100,000 protesters during the unrest, and Pezeshkian’s speech was criticized for not acknowledging these deaths or addressing human rights abuses.
Written by AI on 2026-09-23, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

AI analysis

Story summary

As of September 2026, President Donald Trump told reporters that the U.S. is "hopefully toward the end" of its ongoing war with Iran, which began on February 28 and has lasted for seven months. Despite this hopeful statement, there are no clear timelines or significant de-escalation efforts in sight. The conflict continues to disrupt global oil supplies through the Strait of Hormuz, pushing up oil prices to over $108 per barrel. Additionally, Iran's foreign minister is under pressure from China and international concerns to reopen the strait and return to a previous interim peace deal with the U.S.

Meanwhile, tensions have escalated beyond Iran into Yemen, where Houthi rebels, aligned with Iran, pose significant threats near the Red Sea, complicating efforts at regional stability. The conflict has also drawn in other nations such as Saudi Arabia, which is offering extra crude oil through Oman to ease supply disruptions and stabilize oil prices.

At the United Nations General Assembly, Trump further alarmed global leaders by threatening to "annihilate" Iran if necessary, raising concerns about the potential for catastrophic outcomes involving nuclear weapons. This rhetoric contrasts sharply with past U.S. presidents who emphasized caution regarding such extreme measures. Despite these challenges, there is an urgent need for multilateral solutions and effective engagement through international bodies like the UN to address ongoing conflicts and crises around the world.

Written for “Trump's UN Speech Controversies” on 2026-10-30, grounded in this article and the 206 other(s) covering the same event.

Story

📰 Trump's UN Speech Controversies
Politics · 207 article(s) covering the same event. See how they differ ↓

Compared with similar articles

This article reads leans strongly right and hedges 4% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.
NPR
⚖️ Leans left further left than this Hedges 0 of 15 claims Outlet record 60/100
The Hindu
⚖️ Leans left further left than this Hedges 4 of 26 claims Outlet record 60/100
“The articles describe two different events: a government-organized rally on September 18, 2026, and an uprising beginning in December 2025.”
Al Jazeera
⚖️ Leans left further left than this Hedges 2 of 27 claims Outlet record 60/100
“The articles describe different events occurring on distinct dates—one a rally in Tehran with government-organized participation, and another about Iran's president addressing the UN amid an ongoing uprising.”
New York Post
⚖️ Leans strongly right Hedges 4 of 22 claims Outlet record 66/100
“Article A describes a government-organized rally in Tehran on September 18, while Article B discusses an uprising against the Iranian regime starting from December 28, 2025, and mentions speeches at the UN.”
Euronews
⚖️ Leans left further left than this Hedges 4 of 32 claims Outlet record 60/100
“The articles describe different events occurring at distinct times: a contrast in Tehran with a marathon and military display versus Iran's president addressing an empty UN podium during a historic uprising.”
Toronto Star
Hedges 1 of 38 claims Outlet record 64/100
“The articles discuss different aspects of the situation in Iran but describe distinct events: one focuses on a human rights activist's comments about suffering under sanctions and war, while the other reports on an Iranian president's speech at the UN regarding an uprising.”
Al Jazeera
Hedges 3 of 40 claims Outlet record 60/100
“The articles describe different events: one discusses a mobilization campaign in Iran with civilians being trained for state security, while the other refers to an uprising against the Iranian government and its president's speech at the UN.”
Al Jazeera
⚖️ Centre further left than this Hedges 0 of 2 claims Outlet record 60/100
“The articles discuss different topics: one on US foreign policy and regime change, the other on Iran's president speaking at the UN about a domestic uprising.”
Washington Examiner
Hedges 2 of 28 claims Outlet record 70/100
“The articles discuss different speakers at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and their respective addresses, but describe distinct events with separate leaders and content.”
The Bulwark
Hedges 0 of 3 claims
“The articles describe different speeches by Trump and Iran's president at separate times during the UN General Assembly.”
How this article was measured signals, leaning charts, publisher record, byline, topics and claims

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted
51
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
4%
2 of 51 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
Leans strongly right
of the writing, not the subject · beta estimate
Publisher signals
70/100
Washington Examiner's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
207
Politics
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
Analyzed 2026-09-23 · how these are computed

How this is being covered How these are calculated →

Article leaning vs. publisher reliability
Source leaning vs. consistency

Publisher

Washington Examiner · 3780 article(s) · 7 correction(s) detected
Running correction rate · 7 correction(s)

Who wrote this

Erfan Fard
5 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction
🔮 The White House’s willingness to endure such humiliation by a criminal sect in the 21st century is astonishing.
🔮 A nation of 90 million people is watching its homeland being impoverished, terrorized, plundered, and driven toward the abyss by a ruling cult that would rather destroy Iran than surrender power.
🔮 And if this savage regime had possessed an atomic bomb, it would have fired it at the entire world again and again.
Also by Erfan Fard
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.

Topics

Iran Iranian Islamist U.N. the United Nations

Subjects

Iran GPE · 7× Iranian NORP · 4× Islamist NORP · 3× Pezeshkian PERSON · 3× Iranians NORP · 2× U.N. ORG · 2× the “Islam Party” ORG · 2× Masoud Pezeshkian PERSON · 1× Tehran GPE · 1× the United Nations ORG · 1×

Narrative

From the very first moment, worse than Genghis Khan, Iran’s former dictator — Ali Khamenei — ordered the killing, and his accomplices in this crime — Gholam-Hossein Mohseni Ejei, Pezeshkian, Ahmad Vahidi, Mohsen Rezaei, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Ali Larijani, Ahmad Reza Radan, and others — proceeded with the massacre and genocide of Iranians.
framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-09-23
🔮 And if this savage regime had possessed an atomic bomb, it would have fired it at the entire world again and again.
2026-09-23 · Washington Examiner
Blood on the UN podium: Iran’s president just defended genocide to an empty room · assertive framing

Claims (51 extracted, 2 hedged)

While Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian stood before the United Nations lying on behalf of Tehran’s executioners, he attempted to mask a historic uprising that began on Dec. 28, 2025, against the religious dictatorship of the Shiite mullahs. asserted
that → stand → mullahs
People trapped in poverty, inflation, and religious despotism rose up across Iran against the republic of evil and wickedness. asserted
People → trap → evil
Following the call of Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, millions poured into the streets in more than 300 cities and villages across all 31 provinces, launching the greatest uprising against the tyrannical, repressive, and occupying ruling establishment since the Iranian Revolution. asserted
millions → follow → Revolution
The prince’s credibility, influence, and acceptance showed that he alone is the alternative leader accepted by the Iranian nation. asserted
he → show → nation
The unified protests, the existence of centralized leadership in this “Lion and Sun” Revolution, and the anti-government slogans frightened the ruling establishment. asserted
protests → unify → establishment
And at that very first moment, the entire world realized how great and deep the distance and divide between the nation and the ruling establishment in Iran truly were. asserted
distance → realize → Iran
It is a corrupt ruling establishment, run by a criminal and Islamist terrorist cult, which, through lies, deception, and shamelessness, claims to have been sent by God and to be sacred and spiritual. uncertain
which → rule → God
From the very first moment, worse than Genghis Khan, Iran’s former dictator — Ali Khamenei — ordered the killing, and his accomplices in this crime — Gholam-Hossein Mohseni Ejei, Pezeshkian, Ahmad Vahidi, Mohsen Rezaei, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Ali Larijani, Ahmad Reza Radan, and others — proceeded with the massacre and genocide of Iranians. asserted
accomplices → order → Iranians
The largest street massacre in the history of Iran and the world took place, and the rogue regime killed more than 50,000 people. asserted
regime → take → people
At times, the figures rise to between 75,000 and 100,000. asserted
figures → rise → 75,000
President Donald Trump warned them, but the Islamist executioners cut off the internet, electricity, and telephone services and began killing people like savage beasts. asserted
executioners → warn → beasts
It is a ruling establishment that does not understand peaceful transition, voting, civil society, peace, or dialogue, and whose only language is bullets and terrorism. asserted
language → rule → transition
It calls every protester an agent of Israel and America. asserted
It → call → Israel
The Islamist terrorist in the U.N. said that the victim was the terrorist. asserted
victim → say → U.N.
He held up a photograph of the supreme leader of the world’s Islamist terrorists and said that Khamenei was innocent. asserted
Khamenei → hold → terrorists
Sarcastically, he used the Minab school as a pretext, although it was a Revolutionary Guard military base. asserted
it → use → pretext
And even now, in Iran’s schools, the Shia terrorist forces of Fatemiyoun, Zainabiyoun, and Hashd al-Shaabi conduct military exercises. asserted
forces → conduct → exercises
Yet he did not say a word about the regime’s torture, terrorism, and killings, openly carried out in Iran’s streets against defenseless and unarmed demonstrators. asserted
he → say → demonstrators
His projection and lies were broadcast from the podium of the U.N. He did not refer to the genocidal massacre. asserted
He → broadcast → massacre
Pezeshkian spoke about infrastructure, but in reality, the main infrastructure is those innocent young Iranians themselves. asserted
infrastructure → speak → reality
He referred to Ismail Haniyeh, Gaza, and Palestinian terrorists, but did not refer to political prisoners under torture in Iran or to those whose eyes the government blinded. asserted
government → refer → eyes
He referred to the “Islam Party” and the regime’s propaganda horn in the streets, but did not refer to the blood spilled in those same streets in the deadliest crime against humanity. asserted
He → refer → humanity
The “Islam Party” is the presence of pro-government thugs, hoodlums, and street prostitutes, who, in an obscene and distasteful manner, stage a street carnival for propaganda among the traditional and religious segment that supports the ruling establishment for financial benefit. asserted
that → stage → benefit
This has absolutely no connection whatsoever with the dominant thinking of the Iranian nation. asserted
This → have → nation
Pezeshkian, the symbol of the Reformist mafia — the Islamic Left — and a figure devoid of political awareness and moral understanding, hid behind the name of the Iranian nation. asserted
Pezeshkian → hide → nation
Yet, this is a regime that has nothing to do with the Iranian nation or with being Iranian. asserted
that → have → nation
Since 1979, Islamist terrorism supported by the Islamic Republic has brought disgrace upon the name of Iran and upon Iran’s culture, history, and civilization. asserted
terrorism → support → culture
And if this savage regime had possessed an atomic bomb, it would have fired it at the entire world again and again. asserted
it → possess → world
The regime’s thugs and hoodlums, whose hands are stained with blood, were sitting at the U.N. asserted
hands → stain → U.N.
The regime that stands against security, peace, stability, tranquility, and humanity proceeded to lecture and taunt Trump. asserted
that → stand → Trump
This itself is a signal indicating that there will be no agreement with Trump. asserted
This → indicate → Trump
The ignorant and vindictive president could not even read his Persian text without errors. uncertain
president → read → errors
He did not even know how to pronounce words such as shoom [ominous], palid [vile], tragedy, justice, and so on. asserted
He → know → shoom
Pezeshkian, in a voice mixed with shrieking and an ugly sound, shouted the ruling establishment’s sinister propaganda against Israel, and no one asked whether he was the president of Gaza, and why he does not speak about the suffering, dark misery, and wretchedness of the Iranian people. asserted
he → mix → people
He hid behind the name of “resistance,” and of course did not refer to what the terrorist activities of Hamas, Hezbollah, Hashd al-Shaabi, the Houthis, Islamic Jihad, and others should be called. asserted
activities → hide → Hamas
Is the open relationship of this savage regime with al Qaeda, and its cooperation in terrorist actions from 1990 onward through Sept. 11 — as well as its organic relationship with ISIS today — called “resistance”? asserted
relationship → call → ISIS
Pezeshkian openly, with a self-righteous expression, commotion, and an attempt to flee forward from the truth, called terrorism an instrument of power. asserted
Pezeshkian → flee → power
He threatened that he would continue to spread insecurity if the intention to change the regime became serious. asserted
intention → threaten → regime
And his implicit reference to power means the construction of an atomic bomb and nuclear weapons. asserted
reference → mean → bomb
In reality, in the empty hall of the U.N., a Shiite Islamist terrorist threatened the world. asserted
terrorist → threaten → world
…and 11 more, not listed.
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