World
Iran spouts 'propaganda' from UN podium, calls on Middle East to unite behind Tehran
In an address to the 79th United Nations General Assembly Tuesday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian claimed to be the one playing peacemaker in the Middle East and, in a juxtaposition, accused Israel of supporting terrorism.
Pezeshkian called on the U.N. to “examine” modern history and said, “Iran has never initiated a war. It has only defended itself heroically against external aggression, causing the aggressors to regret their actions,” Pezeshkian said, adding that Iran does not “occupy” territory or exploit resources for other countries.
“It has repeatedly offered various proposals to its neighbors and international fora aimed at establishing lasting peace and stability,” he said. “We have emphasized the importance of unity in the region and establishing a strong region.”
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian walks, on the sidelines of the 79th United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters in New York, U.S., September 24, 2024. (REUTERS/Caitlin Ochs)
UN SILENT AS GUTERRES CALLS FOR HOSTAGE RELEASE, RECEIVES ‘THUNDEROUS’ APPLAUSE ON GAZA
Iran’s claims of playing peacemaker in the Middle East are in stark contrast to its repeated involvement in proxy wars across the region, in which it has been heavily involved in Syria and Yemen, drawing deeper the lines of division between it and other powerful Sunni nations like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
But Iran’s deep involvement in the Middle East extends to one other area not generally endeavored by a nation state — terrorism.
President of Iran Masoud Pezeshkian addresses the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)
While Pezeshkian claimed from the podium Tuesday that Israel both “covertly and overtly” supports the Islamic State, Tehran is widely known to have not only backed terrorist organizations ardently opposed to Israel like Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis, but it has also helped build bridges between the Taliban and al Qaeda, providing the terrorist networks with arms, funding and even safe haven.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran seeks to safeguard its own security, not to create insecurity for others,” Pezeshkian also claimed. “We want peace for all, and seek no war or quarrel with anyone.”
Iran, which has also increasingly aligned itself with top adversarial nations of the West like Russia and North Korea, attempted to claim it has not chosen a side when it comes to Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine, despite it having provided Moscow with drones and, most recently, short-range ballistic missiles for its war effort.
Firefighters extinguish fire in trucks at a site where warehouse facilities were hit during a Russian drone strike, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in the village of Murovane, outside of Lviv, Ukraine September 6, 2024. (Press service of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine/Handout via REUTERS )
“We seek lasting peace and security for the people of Ukraine and Russia. The Islamic Republic of Iran opposes war and emphasizes the urgent need to end military hostilities in Ukraine. We support all peaceful solutions, and believe that dialog is the only way to resolve this crisis,” the Iranian president said.
KIRBY SLAMS HAMAS CHIEF SINWAR AS ‘THE MAJOR OBSTACLE’ TO CEASE-FIRE, HOSTAGE RELEASE DEAL WITH ISRAEL
“We need a new paradigm to address global challenges. Such a paradigm must focus on opportunities, rather than being obsessed with perceived threats,” he added.
Pezeshkian called on “neighboring and brotherly countries” to unite with Iran to advance what is best for the Middle East.
But the Iranian president also spoke directly to the U.S. and said Tehran is looking to “transcend” the obstacles of the past and move forward with Washington, despite its withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear agreement under President Trump and the subsequent sanctions and trade restrictions that have, in large part, cut it off from the rest of the world.
“My message to all states pursuing a counterproductive strategy towards Iran is to learn from history,” Pezeshkian said before calling the U.S.’s sanctions a “crime against humanity.”
“We have the opportunity to transcend these limitations and enter into a new era,” he added.
This photo taken from a position in northern Israel shows a Hezbollah UAV intercepted by Israeli air forces over north Israel on August 25, 2024. (JALAA MAREY/AFP via Getty Images)
But Pezeshkian’s comments rang hollow for some and, according to Behnam Ben Taleblu, Iran expert and senior fellow with the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, they were riddled with “propaganda.”
“Short but certainly not sweet,” he told Fox News Digital. “Pezeshkian dangled the prospect of a renewed diplomatic agreement, something which his regime will use as a literal shield against pressure on its expanding nuclear program and accountably against supporting a multi-front war against Israel.”
“By blaming former President Trump in his speech and by bringing along technocratic staff involved in the JCPOA back in 201[8], Pezeshkian hopes to win support with certain crowds in Washington and Europe and run the clock against SnapBack, which expires in 2025,” Ben Taleblu added. But despite Pezeshkian’s honeyed comments on renewing diplomatic conversations with the U.S., they are not expected to curry much favor with either side of the political aisle as it continues to ramp up its development of nuclear weapons.
new video loaded: Ebola Comes for Congo’s Most Vulnerable Children
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transcript
Ebola Comes for Congo’s Most Vulnerable Children
The arrival of a sick newborn at Saint Nicholas Orphanage in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo set off an Ebola outbreak that quickly spread among the country’s most vulnerable. Local health authorities are now monitoring the children’s home, but at least two babies have already died.
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These Congolese children are re-entering the world after five days of isolation. It’s the first year of their lives, and they’re at the center of a deadly Ebola outbreak. The babies are all orphans who were brought to this hospital after showing symptoms of the virus. They’ve just tested negative and are being taken to a temporary home. But at least two other babies from the same orphanage have died. What happened to them has been a worst-case scenario for health officials trying to stop Ebola from spreading to young children. The alarms went off in late May here at Saint Nicholas children’s home after the arrival of a newborn girl, Patience, who quickly developed a fever. We were given a tour of the orphanage, where nearly 70 children plus their caretakers live. A pediatrician tracked baby Patience’s mother’s case and learned that she had Ebola when she died. Days later, Patience died, too. She was 9 days old. This was one of the last photos taken of her while she was still alive. It’s unclear whether the family knew she could be infected. The relative who brought her to Saint Nicholas declined to talk to us when we reached him by phone. By the time anyone at the orphanage understood the danger, some of the staff had already held and cared for Patience. Soon, more children were showing symptoms of the virus. When we visited the Ebola treatment ward, this 10-month-old seemed to be getting better. Baby Elysée was being cared for by Sister Cecile Nube, one of three staff members at the orphanage who also tested positive. Even while sick herself, Sister Nube stayed by Elysée’s side, feeding her, giving her medicine and watching over her. Elisée died 24 hours after we met her. A reminder of how quickly the disease can turn, especially for babies. Now Saint Nicholas is under quarantine. Every day, contact tracers visit the orphanage, checking the children and their caretakers for fevers. “Some of them today are presenting a little bit higher temperature, but they are OK at the moment.” The concern is that one infection here could quickly become many. “It could have been a recipe of disaster. It’s a very classic situation where Ebola can very fastly devastate the community. They are playing together and they are spending the whole day together. So it’s spreading from one person to the next. And for zero time you’ll see the entire community being infected.” For now, the orphanage remains under watch. It’s still a refuge for children who need shelter and care even as every new symptom raises the fear that the virus could still be spreading.
By Bethlehem Feleke, Michael Anthony Adams, Yasu Tsuji and Jon Hazell
June 13, 2026
World
Mexican authorities discover body in trunk near Iranian soccer team’s World Cup training grounds: report
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Mexican authorities discovered a decomposing corpse with “signs of violence” near Tijuana’s Caliente Stadium, where the Iranian national soccer team is training during the World Cup, according to a New York Post report.
Authorities responded to complaints about a bad smell wafting from a gray Toyota SUV with California plates parked in a grocery store parking lot near the stadium, the Post reported.
“Upon inspecting the vehicle, they found a person wrapped in a black bag in the trunk, showing signs of violence,” a spokesperson for the Tijuana prosecutor’s office told the Post.
According to the report, the car had a damaged back end and was equipped with a license plate holder from a Tijuana car dealership.
HIDDEN TUNNEL DISCOVERED IN TIJUANA MAY HAVE SUPPORTED CROSS-BORDER TRAFFICKING OPERATIONS
Forensic workers inspect a car where a body was allegedly found at a parking lot close to Caliente stadium, where Iran’s national football team trains, in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico on June 12, 2026. (Guillermo Arias / AFP via Getty Images)
Mexican officials could be seen wearing white jumpsuits while collecting evidence from the car in photos taken from the scene.
Forensic workers inspect a car where a body was allegedly found at a parking lot close to Caliente stadium, where Iran’s national football team trains, in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico on June 12, 2026. (Guillermo Arias / AFP via Getty Images)
TSUNAMI OF SEWAGE FROM MEXICO BARRELS TOWARD US COASTLINE, OFFICIALS WARN
Tijuana, located just across the U.S.-Mexico border from San Diego, California, is frequently rated as one of the most violent cities in the world.
Iran soccer players pose for a team photo before a friendly match against Costa Rica in Antalya, Turkey, on March 31, 2026. (Riza Ozel/AP)
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Iran’s national team is training at Caliente Stadium in preparation for their upcoming World Cup game against New Zealand in Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium on Monday.
Ahead of attending the long-awaited G7 summit in Évian, US President Donald Trump has announced a peace deal with Iran could be finalised on Sunday, paving the way for the opening of the Strait of Hormuz.
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“The Deal is scheduled to get signed tomorrow, and immediately after it is signed, the Hormuz Strait is OPEN TO ALL,” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform on Saturday.
Donald Trump also says the US will take Iran’s enriched uranium ‘dust’ when ‘all is calm’.
Trump’s statement, however, ran counter to Iran’s foreign ministry which indicated earlier in the day that the deal would not be signed on Sunday, according to state media reports.
Earlier, Pakistan’s prime minister said on Saturday that a peace deal between the United States and Iran is likely to be finalised within the next 24 hours.
Writing on X, Shehbaz Sharif said: “We are closer to a peace deal than ever before”.
But Trump’s post also contained a warning to the Islamic Republic to fully implement the plan or face serious consequences.
“Hopefully, this process will all work out quickly, easily, and smoothly,” the US president wrote. “If it doesn’t, we have the ultimate alternative, hopefully never to be used again!”
Throughout the negotiations Iran has insisted on its right to enrich uranium.
Trump’s post does not mention Israel and the war in Lebanon, nor the US blockade of Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz which so far have been the Iranian leadership’s two key demands for any peace agreement.
Trump appears to offer an olive branch to the Iranian leadership by saying that the “relationship with Iran is a much different and better one than previous administrations had,” and that “we look forward to working with Iran, and the entire Middle East, long into the future,” signalling a significant change in the US messaging after the prior threatening statements.
Trump mentions “hopefully” when he expresses his wish for the process to “work out quickly, easily and smoothly,” given how complicated the peace negotiations have been, and he states that military options remain on the table, calling it “the ultimate alternative,” which he hopes “never to be used again.” Another key Iranian demand has been the assurance that the US and Israel will never attack Iran again.
The status of US-Iran talks aimed at ending the Middle East war will be a dominant concern at the G7 summit, as will the be the war in Ukraine.
Trump to work with Zelenskyy, says official
Trump will take part in a G7 working session with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky in France on Tuesday, but no bilateral meeting between the two is scheduled, a senior administration official said.
“On Tuesday morning, President Trump will participate in a working session with G7 leaders and President Zelensky of Ukraine,” the official told reporters Saturday on condition of anonymity.
The G7 summit will take place in Evian on June 15-17, and Trump is scheduled to hold bilateral meetings on its sidelines with French President Emmanuel Macron, as well as the leaders of Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and India, the official said.
Trump is also scheduled to dine at the Versailles palace west of Paris with Macron on Wednesday evening, after the summit wraps up.
The dinner is a way to celebrate the 250th anniversary of American independence in a “landmark of Franco-American friendship where the treaty establishing the independence of the United States was signed in 1783,” according to Macron’s office.
Trump has shifted his attention away from efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war since the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran in late February.
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