Sipu Jha
Iran on Friday approached the United Nations Security Council, blaming the United States for what it described as the “transformation of peaceful protests into violent, subversive acts and widespread vandalism” in the Khamenei-led Islamic Republic. Iran also accused Israel of interfering in its internal affairs.The move came as protests continued across Iran for more than 10 days, with unrest reported again on Friday night. Online videos, shared despite government threats to crack down, appeared to show protests continuing after authorities shut down the internet and cut telephone lines.
Here are the top developments
- In a letter seen by Reuters, Iran’s UN envoy Amir Saeid Iravani condemned what he called “the ongoing, unlawful, and irresponsible conduct of the United States, in coordination with the Israeli regime, in interfering in Iran’s internal affairs through threats, incitement, and the deliberate encouragement of instability and violence.”
- He accused Washington of “destabilizing practices” that undermine the founding UN Charter, violate fundamental principles of international law, and threaten international peace and security.
- The Khamenei-led power centre in Tehran is facing strong pressure both inside and outside the country. Iran has seen widespread protests against the regime, while US President Donald Trump has repeatedly issued threats against the Islamic Republic.
- At least 65 people have been killed since the protests began in late December over Iran’s weak economy. The unrest has since grown into the biggest challenge to the government in years.
- Trump openly voiced support for the growing unrest. He said, “Iran’s in big trouble. It looks to me that the people are taking over certain cities that nobody thought were really possible just a few weeks ago.”
- Trump, who bombed Iran’s nuclear facilities in June, also warned Tehran, saying, “You better not start shooting because we’ll start shooting too.”
- Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei responded to Trump by comparing him to past “oppressors of the world” and warning that he too would fall. Khamenei also said in a broadcasted speech about US President Trump that his hands “are stained with the blood of more than a thousand Iranians”, in a clear reference to Israel’s June war against his country, which the US later joined with Operation Midnight Hammer.
- Khamenei wrote on X, “The President of the United States, who sits there with haughtiness and pride, passing judgement on the entire world, should know that tyrants and oppressors of the world, such as Pharaoh and Nimrod and Reza Khan and Mohammad Reza and the likes of these, when they were at the height of their arrogance, were toppled, and this one too shall be toppled.”
- Social media images showed protests continuing in different parts of Tehran. Videos shared by Persian-language television channels based outside Iran showed large crowds taking part in fresh protests in the eastern city of Mashhad, the northern city of Tabriz and the holy city of Qom.
- The protests followed large demonstrations on Thursday, described as the biggest in Iran since the 2022–2023 protest movement triggered by the death of Mahsa Amini while in custody. She had been arrested for allegedly violating rules on women’s dress.
- The rallies came as internet monitoring group NetBlocks said authorities had imposed a “nationwide internet shutdown” over the past 24 hours, saying the move violated the rights of Iranians and was “masking regime violence”.
- Amnesty International said the “blanket internet shutdown” was meant to “hide the true extent of the grave human rights violations and crimes under international law they are carrying out to crush” the protests.
- Meanwhile, Norway-based group Iran Human Rights said at least 51 protesters, including nine children, have been killed by security forces, and hundreds more have been injured. The group had put the death toll at 45 a day earlier.
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