The United States and Iran clashed at an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council, with Washington warning that “all options are on the table” over Iran’s crackdown on protesters, while Tehran insisted it wanted “neither escalation nor confrontation”.
Speaking at the session convened at the US request, America’s Permanent Representative Mike Walz framed the warning as a direct message from Donald Trump. “President (Donald) Trump is a man of action,” Walz said. “He has made it clear all options are on the table to stop the slaughter” of protesters.
Iran pushed back. Its Deputy Permanent Representative Gholamhossein Darzi said Tehran was seeking “neither escalation nor confrontation,” but added a clear caveat. “Any act of aggression, direct or indirect, will be met with a decisive, proportionate, and lawful response.”
US keeps pressure on, Iran rejects blame
The exchange followed a week of mixed signals from Washington. Earlier, Trump had warned that action against Iran was under consideration, saying, “The military is looking at it, and we’re looking at some very strong options”.
A day later, he said Tehran had indicated it would halt the threatened execution of protesters, a claim later confirmed by Iran. “We saved a lot of lives yesterday,” Trump told NBC on Thursday.
Walz kept the pressure on at the Council, leaving open the possibility of action if Iran resumed what he called brutal suppression. He also warned that the unrest could spill beyond Iran’s borders. “The level of violence, this level of repression that the Iranian regime has unleashed against its own citizens and its own people has repercussions for international peace and security,” he said.
He accused Tehran of saying one thing and doing another. “Iran says it is ready for dialogue, but its actions say otherwise.”
Darzi rejected the charge and accused the US of stoking unrest inside Iran. Walz denied the allegation.
UN warns of volatility; Russia and China back Iran
Briefing the Council, Assistant Secretary-General Martha Pobee said the protests, which are driven by inflation and the sharp fall in the rial, had begun late last month and intensified last week, but now appeared to be easing.
“The situation in Iran is fluid and deeply concerning,” she said. “Protests continue, albeit reportedly at a smaller scale than last week.”
She also flagged the risks of external threats. Without mentioning the US directly, Pobee said, “We note with alarm various public statements suggesting possible military strikes on Iran. This external dimension adds volatility to an already combustible situation.”
She added that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had expressed deep concern over the reported excessive use of force and stressed the need to prevent further casualties.
Russia and China lined up behind Iran. China’s Deputy Permanent Representative Sun Lei warned that any “military adventurism” would push the region towards instability. Russia’s envoy Vassily Nebenzia accused Washington of “fueling hysteria” and using the Council to justify attempts to overthrow an “undesirable regime” through military strikes.