A photograph of late Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani was left on Iran’s desk at the United Nations as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu began his address to the UN General Assembly in New York on Thursday.
Soleimani was the former commander of Iran’s elite Quds Force, which handles the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ overseas operations. The strike was ordered by US President Donald Trump. Dozens of delegates left the chamber as Netanyahu began speaking. Some delegates booed and jeered, while members of the Israeli prime minister’s team stood and applauded. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas was also absent from the UN gathering after the Trump administration refused to grant him a visa. A video message from Abbas was played before Netanyahu’s speech.
He was killed in a US drone strike near Baghdad airport in January 2020.
At that time Trump said, “The general was directly and indirectly responsible for the deaths of millions of people”.
During his speech, Netanyahu attacked several countries and leaders who have criticised Israel.
He strongly criticised Iran and called its government a “murderous dictatorship”. He said Israel and the US had acted to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. He also attacked Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, accusing Turkey of supporting Hamas and calling him a “tyrant”. Earlier reporting noted: Israel’s Netanyahu, at UN, calls accusations of genocide in Gaza ‘the biggest lie of the century’ Allegations of Israeli genocide in Gaza are not only false but “the biggest lie of the century,” Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told world leaders Thursday (September 24, 2026) in a defiant speech that asserted his nation’s right to wage war against Iran — and was not heard by scores of delegates who trooped out before he started speaking. Netanyahu, his voice rising in emphasis, said attacking Iran “was one of the easiest decisions I’ve ever had to make” and denounced as “moral cowards” a mass of delegates who walked out of the UN General Assembly when he took the podium to speak. Earlier reporting noted: “In defending itself, Israel is also defending many of the countries whose delegates just left this hall,” Mr. Netanyahu said. “In fact, I want you to know that many of their leaders even thank us privately for taking out Iran’s nukes.”
Earlier reporting noted: Mr.
Netanyahu later responded to those who walked out.
“If there are any other moral cowards who have not yet left the hall, please do so now,” he said.
