Iranian delegates exited the UN General Assembly hall as Netanyahu took the podium, yet a photo of former Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani stayed propped on their desk.
Soleimani, killed in a US drone strike near Baghdad airport in January 2020, symbolised Iran’s regional influence; the portrait’s placement signals a defiant stance against Israel’s rhetoric.
Netanyahu’s address, delivered at 10:30 a.m. EST, blasted Iran as a “murderous dictatorship” and criticised leaders who opposed Israel, while he also attacked Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
The UN chamber saw a flurry of boos and jeers from other delegates, and prominent actor Susan Sarandon was detained outside the hall. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas was absent after a visa denial, but a video message played before the speech.
The incident will be reviewed by the UN’s Security Council before its next meeting, and Israel’s domestic agenda will pivot toward the October 27 general election, where Netanyahu’s approval will be on the line.