Iranian President Raeisi in New York for UN General Assembly session, key talks

Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi has arrived in New York to take part in the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly and hold key talks with senior officials attending the event.

Heading a high-ranking delegation, Raeisi arrived in John F. Kennedy International Airport on Monday and was welcomed by Amir Saeid Iravani, Iran’s permanent ambassador to the United Nations, and a number of Iranian diplomats.

Speaking to reporters upon his arrival in New York, Raeisi said the United Nations should serve as the voice of the nations and not that of the powers.

“Nations expect the United Nations to be an organization of ‘nations’ because if it becomes an organization of ‘states’, the voice of nations will not be heard,” he added.

He emphasized that the capacities of the UN and the General Assembly can be used to communicate the Iranian nation’s voice and outline the Islamic Republic’s foreign policy.

The Iranian president said the country has managed to achieve a “big victory” against the enemy’s hybrid warfare launched last September, referring to angry protests across the country that were sparked after the death of Mahsa Amini, an Iranian woman of Kurdish descent. The 22-year-old died in a hospital in Tehran days after she was detained by police on September 15, 2022.

He added that the enemy wrongly thought that such provocations would cause trouble for the Islamic Revolution but they made another miscalculation and “the Iranian nation has successfully overcome this struggle.”

Raeisi stressed the importance of outlining the “important messages” of the Iranian nation’s achievements in the face of the enemies.

He said the great nation of Iran has something to say in its demand for justice and rights, and the fight against discrimination and corruption.

During his three-day visit to New York, the Iranian chief executive is expected to deliver a speech at the annual General Assembly meeting and hold talks with heads of state as well as Iranians residing there.

He will also expound on the Islamic Republic’s positions and answer questions from political, social, religious, and media groups and elites.

Before his departure, Raeisi met with Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei and presented a report about the main schedule of his visit.

Ayatollah Khamenei made all the necessary recommendations and wished the president success.

Speaking in a late Sunday interview before departing Tehran, Raeisi said interaction with the world as well as regional and international organizations is one of the planks of the Islamic Republic’s policy.