The United Nations Security Council held an emergency meeting on Thursday to discuss deadly protests in Iran, amid threats by U.S. President Donald Trump of possible military intervention.
During the session, Iran’s deputy UN representative warned that Iranians did not seek confrontation but would respond to any U.S. aggression, accusing Washington of “direct involvement in steering unrest in Iran.”
U.S. representative Mike Waltz criticised the Iranian government’s handling of the protests, noting that an ongoing internet blackout made it difficult to verify the extent of the crackdown.
“The people of Iran are demanding their freedom like never before in the Islamic Republic’s brutal history,” Waltz said. He added that Tehran’s claims that the protests were “a foreign plot” suggested the government was “afraid of its own people.”
Waltz did not address Trump’s repeated threats of military intervention, which the president appeared to tone down in recent days.
Iran’s deputy envoy Gholamhossein Darzi told the council that the country “seeks neither escalation nor confrontation.
” He warned, however, that “any act of aggression, direct or indirect, will be met with a decisive, proportionate, and lawful response under Article 51 of the UN Charter.”
UN Assistant Secretary-General Martha Pobee briefed the council, describing the protests as “popular demonstrations” that have escalated into nationwide unrest, causing significant loss of life since they began nearly three weeks ago.
“Demonstrations started on 28 December 2025, when a group of shopkeepers in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar protested the sharp collapse of the currency and soaring inflation, amid a wider economic downturn and worsening living conditions,” Pobee said.
She reported that human rights monitors estimate “mass arrests exceeding 18,000 detainees as of mid-January 2026,” though the UN cannot independently verify the figures.
Pobee called on Iran to treat detainees humanely, halt any executions related to protest cases, and ensure that all deaths are “promptly, independently, and transparently investigated.”
She added that those responsible for violations must be held accountable under international standards.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi denied on Wednesday that the government plans to execute anti-government protesters.
Iran has long faced heavy international sanctions, which have worsened the economic crisis that partly fueled the recent wave of protests.
Join us on our WhatsApp WhatsApp @KOIKIMEDIA NEWS YOUR PAGE
koikimedia Bringing the World 🌎 Closer to Your Doorstep