ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian set off to New York on Tuesday, with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi having arrived a day earlier, to attend the annual United Nations General Assembly amid persisting tensions with Washington.

“We will forcefully present Iran's positions in international forums,” Pezeshkian told reporters ahead of his departure, adding that they will highlight “the injustices faced by the Iranian people, the crimes that have been committed, and the distrust that has been created.”

Iran signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Washington in June to end hostilities and resume talks. Its demands included ending military operations on all fronts, including Lebanon, lifting sanctions, and post-war reconstruction. 

The agreement collapsed weeks later when the US claimed Iran had struck a vessel in the Strait of Hormuz.

Since the war started in late February, the warring parties have paused hostilities and held talks that have led to no agreement several times, circling back to trading salvoes. 

“We have sat at the negotiating table several times and signed agreements, but unfortunately, the whole world has seen how commitments were not fulfilled, and agreements were violated,” Pezeshkian said. 

Both sides have shown conflicting positions, with Washington claiming Tehran wants to reach a deal and the latter rejecting talks until its conditions are met.

US President Donald Trump told Fox News on Sunday that he would “probably” be open to meeting with Pezeshkian, adding that he is in a “deciding mode” and "very big things" are expected to happen in the near future regarding the war.

“Our most important goal is to participate in a major international forum to defend the righteousness, rights, and interests of the Iranian people,” Araghchi told reporters upon his arrival in New York.

In late August, Washington announced ‘Operation Economic Outcast,’ a large-scale sanctions package on Iran that seeks to clamp down on third parties that directly and indirectly support the Iranian regime by facilitating its oil exports and shadow economy.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Monday that all Iranian airlines will be “shut down around the world.”

On Thursday, Mahan Air, an Iranian airline sanctioned by the US for alleged ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), announced that decisions made by Omani and Turkish aviation authorities have led to the cancellation of flights between Iran and Oman from September 17 and those to Turkey from September 21 “until further notice.”

“Our enemies are trying to block every path to force the Iranian people to surrender. They have failed to achieve their goals through military means, and they are trying to operate through other channels,” Pezeshkian said. 

Last year, Washington also limited the Iranian UN delegation’s travel to strictly necessary areas while in New York, a move that was condemned by Tehran.