US tells UN it stands with Iranian people as Iran warns of a lawful response to any aggression, with Russia urging Washington to “come to their senses”.
UNITED NATIONS: The United States has told the UN Security Council it stands by the people of Iran and that all options are on the table to stop violence.
US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz said President Donald Trump “has made it clear all options are on the table to stop the slaughter”.
Trump has repeatedly threatened to intervene over a reported crackdown on protests in Iran that has left thousands dead.
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Waltz dismissed Iranian claims that the protests are a foreign plot to justify military action.
“The regime is weaker than ever before, and therefore is putting forward this lie because of the power of the Iranian people in the streets,” he told the council.
Iran’s Deputy UN Ambassador Gholamhossein Dehghani accused the US of a deliberate misinformation campaign.
“However, any act of aggression – direct or indirect – will be met with a decisive, proportionate, and lawful response,” Dehghani warned the council.
Russia’s UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia accused the US of trying to justify interference in Iran’s internal affairs.
“We strongly urge the hot heads in Washington and other capitals … to come to their senses,” Nebenzia said.
A senior UN official relayed the Secretary-General’s call for maximum restraint to avoid wider regional escalation.
Denmark’s UN Ambassador Christina Markus Lassen urged Iran’s government to listen to its people’s calls for a better life through peaceful means. – Reuters
