Iran appeals to UN, blames US for unrest

Shafaq News– Tehran

Iran on Sunday sent an "urgent" letter to the United Nations Security Council accusing the United States of interfering in its internal affairs and inciting violence, as nationwide protests continue.

According to Iranian media, the country’s permanent representative to the UN said no principle of international law permits any state, “under the guise of human rights or support for peoples,” to provoke violence, undermine social stability, or engineer chaos. The letter described such claims as a “blatant distortion of international law” and warned against using them to justify threats or interventionist policies.

The letter followed warnings from US President Donald Trump, who Axios reported is considering options to support protesters, including potential military measures. Senior Iranian officials, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, have repeatedly accused foreign actors, including Washington, of "exploiting economic pressure to destabilize the country."

Separately, Iranian outlets reported that Tehran summoned the British ambassador and delivered a strongly worded protest note following an attack on Iran’s embassy in London and remarks by the British foreign minister concerning the protests.

Protests began on December 28, 2025, following a sharp fall in the rial and rising living costs, initially erupting in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar before spreading to universities and dozens of cities nationwide, as economic grievances evolved into broader political demands. Iran’s Tasnim News Agency said, however, that the number of demonstrations has fallen by nearly 90% from their peak.

The Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) has documented demonstrations at nearly 300 locations across 111 cities in all 31 provinces, reporting nearly 500 deaths and thousands of arrests, while Iranian authorities have yet to release official nationwide casualty or detention figures.

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