UNITED NAITONS, January 10. /TASS/. Iran condemns US attempts to meddle into the Islamic Republic’s internal affairs by inciting riots and violence, Iranian Permanent Representative Amir Saeid Iravani said.
In a letter to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and President of the Security Council Abukar Dahir Osman, Iran’s envoy to the UN said: "I am writing to you, upon the instructions of my Government, to express the Islamic Republic of Iran’s strongest condemnation of the ongoing, unlawful, and irresponsible conduct of the United States of America, in coordination with the Israeli regime, in interfering in Iran’s internal affairs through threats, incitement, and the deliberate encouragement of instability and violence."
The Iranian envoy added that "no principle or norm of international law permits a State to incite violence, destabilize societies, or engineer disorder under the pretext of human rights or "support for the people."
"Such claims constitute a manifest distortion of international law and cannot be weaponized to justify coercion, threats, or interventionist policies," he continued.
The Iranian diplomat added that "the transformation of peaceful protests into violent, subversive acts and widespread vandalism constitutes the direct and foreseeable consequence of such policies."
"Full responsibility for their consequences rests squarely and unequivocally with the United States," the letter says.
Trump’s threats
At a meeting with oil executives at the White House, US President Donald Trump said the United States may resort to a military action if Iranian forces open fire at protestors.
"I just hope the protesters in Iran are going to be safe, because that's a very dangerous place right now and again. I tell the Iranian leaders, you better not start shooting, because we'll start shooting too," Trump said.
He did not elaborate what kind of measures he was talking about.
Protests in Iran
On December 29, 2025, merchants began staging protests in central Tehran over a sharp decline in the value of the Iranian rial. The Fars news agency reported that protesting business owners were urging their colleagues to close their shops and join the movement. On December 30, students from Tehran universities joined the unrest. On January 2, Mehr reported that a group of unidentified masked individuals armed with guns appeared on the streets of Ilam province. In recent days, clashes between protesters and law enforcement agencies have intensified, mainly in the western provinces.
The riots peaked on January 8, when at least 11 civilians were killed, including a child. Several security officers were also killed. Tehran Mayor Alireza Zakani said the rioters set fire to 25 mosques, looted 26 banks, three hospitals, ten governmental buildings, 48 fire engines, 42 buses and ambulance vehicles, as well as 24 apartments.