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STORY: UN / IRAN
TRT: 05:24
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: ENGLISH / RUSSIAN / NATS
DATELINE: 15 JANUARY 2026, NEW YORK CITY / FILE
FILE - NEW YORK CITY
1. Wide shot, exterior flags outside United Nations Headquarters
15 JANUARY 2026, NEW YORK CITY
2. Wide shot, Security Council
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee, Assistant Secretary-General for Africa, Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations:
“We call on the authorities to respect due process and fair trial rights for all detainees. All must be treated humanely and allowed access and visits by their families. In particular, we call on Iran to halt any execution linked to protest related cases. All deaths should be promptly, independently and transparently investigated.”
4. Med shot, United States Ambassador Michael Waltz
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee, Assistant Secretary-General for Africa, Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations:
“We note with alarm various public statements suggesting possible military strikes on Iran. This external dimension adds volatility to an already combustible situation. All efforts must be undertaken to prevent any further deterioration. The Secretary-General remains convinced that all concerns regarding Iran, including those related to the nuclear issue and ongoing protests, are best addressed through diplomacy and dialog.”
6. Med shot, Iranian dissidents Masih Alinejad and Ahmad Batebi
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Michael Waltz, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, United States:
“The people of Iran are demanding their freedom like never before in the Islamic Republic's brutal history. Unarmed, peaceful people who love their country are taking to the streets in pursuit of their legitimate aspirations for a better future. Well, this is our message. President Donald J. Trump and the United States of America stands by the brave people of Iran. Period.”
8. Wide shot, Council
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Michael Waltz, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, United States:’
“And I would like to address the allegation put forward by the regime that these inspired protests are somehow a foreign plot to give a precursor to military action. Everyone in the world needs to know that the regime is weaker than ever before and therefore is putting forward this lie because of the power of the Iranian people in the streets. They are afraid. They're afraid of their own people.”
10. Wide shot, Council
11. SOUNDBITE (Russian) Vassily Nebenzia, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Russian Federation:
“Since the end of December, the whole world has been watching as the United States continues to escalate tensions and fuel hysteria around Iran, declaring that help is already on the way. What's more, in its official statements, Washington has not even tried to cover up the genuine reasons for its alleged concern over the country's internal political situation as it threatens new strikes against Iran. Today's meeting, convened by our American colleagues, is nothing more than yet another attempt to justify blatant aggression and interference in the internal affairs of a sovereign state.”
12. Wide shot, Iranian Ambassador Gholamhossein Darzi addressing Council
13. SOUNDBITE (English) Gholamhossein Darzi, Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Islamic Republic of Iran:
“Under the hollow pretext of concern for the Iranian people and claims of support for human rights, the United States regime is attempting to portray itself as a friend of the Iranian people, while simultaneously laying the groundwork for political destabilization and military intervention under a so-called humanitarian narrative.”
14. Wide shot, Darzi addressing Council
15. SOUNDBITE (English) Gholamhossein Darzi, Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Islamic Republic of Iran:
“Iran seeks neither escalation nor confrontation. However, any act of aggression, direct or indirect, will be met with a decisive, proportionate and lawful response under article 51 of the charter. This is not a threat. It is a statement of legal reality. Responsibility for all consequences will rest solely with those who initiate such unlawful acts.”
16. Wide shot, Darzi addressing Council
17. SOUNDBITE (English) SOUNDBITE (English) Gholamhossein Darzi, Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Islamic Republic of Iran:
“The allegation that the government of the Islamic of Iran has killed peaceful protesters is quite a distortion of the facts on the ground. What the Iranian security forces did confront firmly and responsibly were armed ISIS style terrorist cells and violent separatist groups funded and armed by a few foreign entities, including the Israeli regime. These groups deliberately targeted civilians and law enforcement officers in an attempt to ignite civil war and create the conditions for foreign intervention.”
18. Wide shot, end of Council session
Assistant Secretary-General Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee today (15 Jan) called on Iranian authorities “to halt any execution linked to protest related cases,” and expressed “alarm” at public statements suggesting military strikes on Iran.
Pobee called on Iran “to respect due process and fair trial rights for all detainees” and for all deaths to be “promptly, independently and transparently investigated.”
On military intervention, she said, “this external dimension adds volatility to an already combustible situation. All efforts must be undertaken to prevent any further deterioration,” adding that Secretary-General António Guterres “remains convinced that all concerns regarding Iran, including those related to the nuclear issue and ongoing protests, are best addressed through diplomacy and dialog.”
United States Ambassador Michael Waltz said, “the people of Iran are demanding their freedom like never before in the Islamic Republic's brutal history” and quoted US President Donald J. Trump saying, “the United States of America stands by the brave people of Iran. Period.”
Waltz denied allegations “put forward by the regime that these inspired protests are somehow a foreign plot to give a precursor to military action.”
He said, “everyone in the world needs to know that the regime is weaker than ever before and therefore is putting forward this lie because of the power of the Iranian people in the streets. They are afraid. They're afraid of their own people.”
Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia for his part said, “the whole world has been watching as the United States continues to escalate tensions and fuel hysteria around Iran, declaring that help is already on the way. What's more, in its official statements, Washington has not even tried to cover up the genuine reasons for its alleged concern over the country's internal political situation as it threatens new strikes against Iran.”
Today's meeting, Nebenzia said, “is nothing more than yet another attempt to justify blatant aggression and interference in the internal affairs of a sovereign state.”
Finally Iranian Ambassador Gholamhossein Darzi told the Council that the United States “is attempting to portray itself as a friend of the Iranian people, while simultaneously laying the groundwork for political destabilization and military intervention under a so-called humanitarian narrative.”
Darzi said, “Iran seeks neither escalation nor confrontation. However, any act of aggression, direct or indirect, will be met with a decisive, proportionate and lawful response under article 51 of the charter. This is not a threat. It is a statement of legal reality. Responsibility for all consequences will rest solely with those who initiate such unlawful acts.”
He denied allegations that the government of the Iran has killed peaceful protesters, which he said, “is quite a distortion of the facts on the ground.”
Darzi said, “what the Iranian security forces did confront firmly and responsibly were armed ISIS style terrorist cells and violent separatist groups funded and armed by a few foreign entities, including the Israeli regime. These groups deliberately targeted civilians and law enforcement officers in an attempt to ignite civil war and create the conditions for foreign intervention.”
