UNITED NATIONS: Iran and the United States clashed at the United Nations on Thursday, with Tehran accusing Washington of “steering unrest” in the country, while the US envoy dismissed the claims as false and reaffirmed support for the Iranian people.
US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz told the Security Council that President Donald Trump “has made it clear all options are on the table to stop the slaughter,” describing the regime as “weaker than ever” and attributing Iran’s allegations of a foreign plot to fear of its own people.
US envoy to UN, Mike Waltz, dismisses claims by Iran that the protests are “a foreign plot to give a precursor to military action”
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Waltz rejected Tehran’s characterization of the protests as a “foreign plot” designed to precede American military action, saying the demonstrations reflect the power and resolve of the Iranian people in the streets.
Trump, after days of aggressive rhetoric, adopted a wait-and-see stance, noting reports that the killings were easing and that there was no plan for large-scale executions at present.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, through senior official Martha Pobee, called for “maximum restraint at this sensitive moment” and urged all actors to avoid any steps that could lead to further loss of life or spark wider regional escalation.
Iran’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, Gholamhossein Darzi, opened his remarks by criticizing two civil society briefers, saying they “represent the political agenda of the United States and Israeli regimes.”
Iran’s Deputy Permanent Representative to UN, Gholamhossein Darzi says, ”No rule of doctrine, narrative, or political justification can legitimise unilateral military action or coercion” pic.twitter.com/VrGHtyVtzL
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Speaking on behalf of what he described as a “nation in mourning,” Darzi accused the United States of deliberately spreading false information to hide its role in “steering unrest in Iran towards violence.”
The protests in Iran began on December 28, when shopkeepers in Tehran took to the streets to protest the collapsing national currency, rising inflation, and worsening living conditions. Demonstrations quickly spread nationwide, evolving into large-scale anti-government protests, with scores of deaths reported among both protesters and security forces.
Authorities have imposed a near-total communications blackout, which remains in effect, although the protests have reportedly subsided.
