US Says ‘All Options on the Table’ as UN Debates Iran Protests

News Desk 

New York:  The United States on Thursday said it stands with the “brave people of Iran” and warned that President Donald Trump has kept “all options on the table” to stop what Washington described as a violent crackdown on protesters, during a tense meeting of the UN Security Council.

US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz told the council that Trump was prepared to act if necessary, though the president has recently adopted a more cautious tone, saying he had been informed that the killings were easing and that there were no current plans for large-scale executions.

“President Trump is a man of action, not endless talk,” Waltz said at the meeting, which was requested by the United States. “He has made it clear all options are on the table to stop the slaughter.”

Protests have swept across Iran against clerical rule, with reports indicating that thousands of people have been killed in a crackdown by security forces. Iranian authorities have rejected those figures and accuse foreign powers of fomenting unrest.

Waltz dismissed Iran’s claims that the protests were part of a foreign plot designed to justify military action. He said the Iranian leadership was spreading falsehoods out of fear of its own population.

“The regime is weaker than ever before,” Waltz said. “They are afraid of their own people.”

Read More: https://thepenpk.com/protests-in-iran-abate-trump-adopts-wait-and-see-approach/

Iran’s Deputy UN Ambassador Gholamhossein Darzi rejected the US accusations, saying Iran did not seek escalation or confrontation. He accused Washington of spreading misinformation and interfering in Iran’s internal affairs.

“Any act of aggression — direct or indirect — will be met with a decisive, proportionate and lawful response,” Darzi told the council. “This is not a threat; it is a statement of legal reality.”

Russia’s UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia criticised the United States for convening the meeting, accusing Washington of attempting to justify interference and possible military action aimed at toppling Iran’s government.

“We strongly urge the hot heads in Washington and other capitals to come to their senses,” Nebenzia said.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for restraint, urging all parties to avoid actions that could lead to further loss of life or trigger wider regional escalation, according to senior UN official Martha Pobee.

Several council members voiced concern over the situation inside Iran. Denmark’s UN Ambassador Christina Markus Lassen said Iranians had repeatedly called for a better life and urged Tehran to respond peacefully to public demands.

“The time has now come for the government of Iran to finally listen and respond to the will of its people,” she said.