U.N. official warns U.S. threats add ‘volatility’ as Iran protests persist; New Zealand shuts Tehran embassy
A senior U.N. official warned Thursday that public threats of military action against Iran — including remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump — are intensifying an already combustible crisis as nationwide protests test the Islamic Republic and foreign governments reassess their footprint in the country.
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“We note with alarm various public statements suggesting possible military strikes on Iran. This external dimension adds volatility to an already combustible situation,” U.N. Assistant Secretary-General Martha Pobee told the U.N. Security Council.
Iran has seen demonstrations over the last month, including some of the largest anti-government protests in the history of the Islamic Republic. The unrest has ebbed amid a crackdown by security forces and a weeklong internet blackout, rights activists say.
Until Wednesday, the United States had warned of possible military action should Iran carry out death sentences against people arrested in the protests, and the U.S. envoy to the U.N. said all options remained “on the table.”
Iran’s representative to the council, Gholamhossein Darzi, accused Washington of exploiting the unrest. He said Mr. Trump’s statements were “aimed at reigniting unrest” and amounted to “exploitation of peaceful protests for geopolitical purposes.”
Addressing the council at the invitation of the United States, Iranian-American journalist Masih Alinejad said “all Iranians are united” against the country’s clerical system. She said “millions of Iranians flooded into the streets demanding that their money stop being stolen and sending to Hamas, to Hezbollah, to Houthi” fighters, referencing groups backed by Tehran. Alinejad said Iranians “welcomed when President Trump offered to rescue unarmed people being shot in their heart, in their chest by the security forces inside Iran.”
U.S. ambassador to the U.N. Mike Waltz said Washington “stands by the brave people of Iran period,” adding that “the level of repression that the Iranian regime has unleashed on its own citizens, its own people, has repercussions for international peace and security.” He said President Trump “is a man of action, not endless talk like we see at the United Nations,” and reiterated that “all options are on the table to stop the slaughter.”
Separately, New Zealand said it has temporarily closed its embassy in Tehran and evacuated staff as security conditions worsened. Diplomatic personnel left Iran safely on commercial flights overnight, the foreign ministry said, and the embassy’s operations have been relocated to Ankara, Turkey.
“We continue to advise against all travel to Iran. Any New Zealanders currently in the country should leave now,” a ministry spokesperson said, noting “extremely limited” ability to provide consular assistance and “severe communication challenges” that have made it hard for people to contact family and friends. Authorities urged New Zealanders in Iran to reach out to relatives when possible.
New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters said his country was “appalled” by Tehran’s response to the protests. “We condemn the brutal crackdown being carried out by Iran’s security forces, including the killing of protesters,” he said. “Iranians have the right to peaceful protest, freedom of expression, and access to information — and that right is currently being brutally repressed.” Wellington has conveyed its “serious concerns” directly to Iran’s embassy in New Zealand and will continue to do so, Peters said.
The Security Council session underscored the widening international stakes surrounding Iran’s unrest, as U.N. officials cautioned against escalation and foreign governments recalibrated their presence on the ground.
By Abdiwahab Ahmed
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
