The Pezeshkian invitation
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The Pezeshkian invitation is a meeting John Kiriakou disclosed on the DeProgram programme in September 2025, in the middle of an argument that diplomatic recognition should not be treated as a reward.

The disclosure

Kiriakou flagged that he was breaking news about himself: "I'm proud to say, I've not said this publicly, but I'm going to say it now, I'm one of six people who has been invited to meet with Iranian President Pezeshkian in New York when he arrives for the UN General Assembly."

The acceptance

His answer had already been given, and given without conditions: "And I said yes. I didn't even ask what he wanted to talk about."

He describes himself as looking forward to it, "I'm excited about it", and, urged by the host to try to secure an interview, treated the idea as costless: "the worst that could happen is that he says no."

The other guests

The arrangements were unfinished at the time of the broadcast. "I heard back from them again today. They said that they don't yet have a date or a time, but there are six of us that he wants to talk to."

Kiriakou named three of the others: "Medea Benjamin is one. Max Blumenthal is one. Andy Shal is one. Me, and I don't know who the other two are."

The list is his own and he does not claim it is complete or that he was told the basis on which it was drawn.

The argument it came out of

The disclosure follows directly from a position Kiriakou had just stated in general terms: that the United States should maintain relations with every country willing to have them, and that withholding recognition is a self-inflicted obstacle rather than a sanction. "Let the diplomats do what they're paid to do, to carry out diplomacy. We should have relations with everybody. We really should."

He supported it with his own experience of obtaining an Iranian visa through a third country's embassy, for want of any direct channel.

See also

- The Iranian Interest Section
- 2026 Iran war
- John Kiriakou
