A senior United Nations official warned that threats of military action against Iran — including those made by President Donald Trump — risked further inflaming a country already shaken by some of the largest anti-government protests in the Islamic republic’s history.
“We note with alarm various public statements suggesting possible military strikes on Iran. This external dimension adds volatility to an already combustible situation,” UN Assistant Secretary-General Martha Pobee told the UN Security Council.
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Iran has been rocked over the last week by mass demonstrations that observers described as among the biggest in decades. The protests appear to have ebbed amid a forceful crackdown and a week-long internet blackout that severely limited communication and independent reporting.
Until Wednesday, the United States had threatened military action if Iran carried out the death penalty against people detained during the unrest, and the U.S. envoy to the United Nations said all options were still “on the table.”
Iranian-American journalist Masih Alinejad, invited by the United States to brief the Council, 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, referring to groups backed by Tehran.
Alinejad, a prominent critic of the Iranian government, added that Iranians “welcomed when President Trump offered to rescue unarmed people being shot in their heart, in their chest by the security forces inside Iran.”
“The United States stands by the brave people of Iran period,” said Mike Waltz, speaking for the United States at the meeting. “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 added.
Pobee’s remarks underscored concern inside the UN that saber-rattling from outside powers could compound risks as Iran’s leadership confronts domestic dissent. Her warning also reflected a broader UN message in recent crises: that external threats can harden regimes, escalate tensions and narrow space for de-escalation.
While the Council session spotlighted competing narratives — with U.S. speakers voicing support for Iranian protesters and calling out Tehran’s repression, and UN officials emphasizing the danger of external military threats — the situation inside Iran remained difficult to independently verify amid restricted access and disrupted communications.
The Security Council took no immediate action following the briefing, but the session widened the diplomatic spotlight on Iran’s internal turmoil and the potential regional spillover from any escalation. Pobee urged restraint as the country faces a volatile mix of street anger, security force crackdowns and international pressure.
By Abdiwahab Ahmed
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
