Iran tells UN: US to blame for 'violent' protests

Iran accused the United States of fueling unrest and violence behind recent protests, calling the actions unlawful interference in its internal affairs. Tehran warned the U.N. Security Council that such “destabilizing practices” threaten international law and global peace.

Michelle Nichols/Reuters

January 10, 2026

Iran tells UN: US to blame for 'violent' protests

FILE PHOTO: Protesters gather as vehicles burn, amid evolving anti-government unrest, in Tehran, Iran, in this screen grab obtained from a social media video released on January 9, 2026.

Reuters

The United States is to blame for “the transformation of peaceful protests into violent, subversive acts and widespread vandalism” in Iran, the country’s United Nations ambassador told the Security Council on Friday.

Iran condemns “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,” Iran’s U.N. Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani wrote in a letter, seen by Reuters.

He accused Washington of “destabilizing practices” that undermine the founding U.N. Charter, violate fundamental principles of international law, and threaten the foundations of international peace and security.

-Michelle Nichols/Reuters