Iranian President Masud Pezeshkian has told the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) that Iran is ready to end its nuclear standoff with the West and called for an end to the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East through dialogue.
"We are ready to engage with JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) participants if JCPOA commitments are implemented fully and in good faith. Dialogue on other issues can follow," Pezeshkian said in his first address to the annual gathering on September 24.
Pezeshkian, who was sworn in as president in July after being elected following the death of President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash, has previously said Tehran would be open to holding talks with the United States to restart the 2015 nuclear deal.
President Donald Trump in 2018 unilaterally pulled the United States out of the deal, which was also signed by China, France, Russia, Britain, Germany, and the European Union, and reimposed crippling financial sanctions against Tehran.
President Joe Biden has sought to restart the agreement, but Washington and Tehran have disagreed on terms.
Pezeshkian said Iran hoped to see an easing of sanctions, which he called "destructive and inhumane weapons designed to cripple a nation's economy."
He called for a new global paradigm that focuses on opportunities "rather than being obsessed with perceived threats," saying there is an opportunity to transcend limitations and enter a new era.
"This era will commence with the acknowledgement of Iran's security concerns and cooperation on mutual challenges," he said.
Relations between Iran and the West have worsened since the Iranian-backed Hamas, which is designated as a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union, attacked southern Israel on October 7, 2023, and as Tehran has increased its support for Russia's war in Ukraine.
But Pezeshkian emphasized in his UNGA speech that Iran wants "peace for all and seek[s] no war or quarrel with anyone" and the urgent need to end military hostilities in Ukraine.
"We support all peaceful solutions and believe that dialogue is the only way to resolve this crisis," he said.
SEE ALSO: How Would Iran Benefit From Exporting Ballistic Missiles To Russia?Pezeshkian also sharply criticized Israel for what he called "its genocide in Gaza" and said it should stop immediately.
"It is imperative that the international community should immediately...secure a permanent cease-fire in Gaza and bring an end to the desperate barbarism of Israel in Lebanon before it engulfs the region and the world," he said.
SEE ALSO: Israel's Deadly Strikes On Lebanon Mark Start Of New WarPezeshkian earlier warned that Israel's air campaign in response to attacks by Hezbollah -- designated as a terrorist organization by the United States -- on its territory from southern Lebanon "may turn into a regional war."
Pezeshkian told CNN's Fareed Zakaria in an interview that aired on September 23 that Iran is supporting Hezbollah because the group "cannot stand alone" in the face of the attacks.
"The danger does exist that the fire of events that are taking place [in Lebanon] will expand to the entire region," he said in the interview, given in Persian and translated into English.
Iran has long been Hezbollah's main sponsor.