Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has renewed Tehran’s call for diplomacy to resolve the conflict involving Iran, while warning that his country would defend itself if it came under attack.

Pezeshkian made the remarks during his diplomatic engagements surrounding the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York. On September 26, reports from the UN meetings highlighted continued efforts to find a diplomatic pathway toward ending hostilities and addressing the wider regional crisis.

In an interview during his visit, Pezeshkian said Iran had not initiated the conflict and would not seek to start another war. At the same time, he stated that Tehran would respond if the country were attacked. He argued that disputes should be addressed through negotiations rather than military confrontation.

The Iranian president’s comments came as diplomatic efforts surrounding the conflict continued at the United Nations. UN Secretary-General António Guterres met Pezeshkian and stressed the need to resolve the conflict through dialogue and negotiations while respecting international law.

The meeting also focused on the strategically important Strait of Hormuz, through which a significant amount of global energy trade normally passes. According to the UN account, Guterres emphasised the importance of navigational rights and freedoms in and around the waterway and reaffirmed the UN’s support for diplomatic efforts.

Iran has separately proposed a seven-day framework under which the Strait of Hormuz could be reopened if the necessary conditions are met. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the proposal had been conveyed to Washington through Qatari mediators.

The proposal has become an important element of the latest diplomatic discussions because the waterway is a major route for international energy shipments. Any prolonged disruption could have consequences beyond the countries directly involved in the conflict.

Pezeshkian has also indicated that Tehran wants to revive a memorandum of understanding reached with the United States in June. He said Iran supported efforts to return to that understanding and create conditions for serious negotiations.

The Iranian position reflects a combination of diplomatic outreach and warnings against military pressure. Tehran says it is prepared to negotiate, but it does not want negotiations to take place under what it describes as coercion.

During his UN visit, Pezeshkian also met with Guterres and other international leaders as part of Iran’s diplomatic efforts. His meetings provided an opportunity for Tehran to present its position directly to foreign governments and international organisations.

The United States has not publicly accepted all of Iran’s proposals, and significant differences remain between Washington and Tehran. Reports on September 26 said Iran was awaiting an official US response to its proposal concerning the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and ending hostilities.

The diplomatic situation therefore remains fluid. While Iranian officials have repeatedly spoken about negotiations, the two sides continue to disagree over security, nuclear issues, military actions and the conditions required for a broader settlement.

Pezeshkian’s latest statements also underline the difficulty of combining diplomacy with military deterrence. Iran’s government wants negotiations to continue while maintaining that it will respond to any attack against its territory.

For the United Nations, the immediate challenge is to support diplomatic channels capable of reducing hostilities and preventing further regional escalation. Guterres has said the organisation is prepared to support diplomatic efforts aimed at resolving the conflict.

The Strait of Hormuz remains particularly important to these discussions because developments there can affect international shipping and energy markets. A diplomatic agreement that allows normal navigation to resume would therefore have implications well beyond Iran and the United States.

For now, no final agreement has been announced. Iran has presented proposals and expressed willingness to return to negotiations, while Washington’s position on the latest initiative remains a central question.

As Pezeshkian concludes his UN visit and returns to Tehran, attention is expected to shift toward the next diplomatic steps and whether the competing sides can establish conditions for renewed negotiations.

The latest developments indicate that diplomatic channels remain active, but substantial differences between the parties continue to shape the political and security situation.