UN assistant secretary-general Martha Pobee on Thursday urged action to prevent escalation as nationwide protests in Iran appeared to ease after nearly three weeks of unrest.
Ms Pobee spoke during a briefing on an emergency Security Council meeting in New York, convened by the United States to address the Iranian crisis. She described the situation as “fluid and deeply concerning”, noting that protests continued, “albeit reportedly at a smaller scale than last week”.
Ms Pobee warned against public statements suggesting possible military strikes on Iran, saying such rhetoric heightened risks.
“This external dimension adds volatility to an already combustible situation. All efforts must be undertaken to prevent any further deterioration,” she said.
UN secretary-general António Guterres noted that concerns over Iran, including nuclear issues and protests, are “best addressed through diplomacy and dialogue”.
He urged “maximum restraint at this sensitive moment” and called on all actors to avoid actions that could cause further deaths or regional escalation.
Protests erupted on December 28 after shopkeepers in Tehran demonstrated against the currency collapse, soaring inflation and worsening living conditions.
The unrest spread nationwide, becoming the largest anti-government protests since those sparked by Jina Amini’s death in custody in Sept. 2022.
Authorities imposed a near-total communications blackout, while hundreds, possibly thousands, were reportedly killed and over 18,000 detained, figures unverified by the UN.
Ms Pobee said Iran’s government claimed it acted against “organised terrorists” and “rioters” accused of infiltrating protests and provoking foreign intervention.
The UN chief expressed deep concern over reports of excessive force and reaffirmed the rights to free expression, association, and peaceful assembly.
Iranian journalist Masih Alinejad told the council that “real and concrete action” was needed to bring justice against those ordering massacres.
Human rights activist Ahmad Batebi recounted his arrest as a student protester, death sentence, torture and forced confession as a paid American spy.
U.S. ambassador Mike Waltz said Iran’s repression “has repercussions for international peace and security” and pledged U.S. support for Iranian protesters. He said the regime alone was responsible for economic misery and repression, adding it would be held accountable.
Iran’s deputy envoy, Gholamhossein Darzi, denounced the civil society briefers, accusing them of serving U.S. and Israeli political agendas.
He accused the United States of “lies, distortions of facts and deliberate disinformation” to conceal its alleged role in fuelling violence.

(NAN)