‘All options are on the table,’ US warns Iran at UN over crackdown on protests

The United States warned Iran that “all options are on the table” during an emergency UN Security Council meeting, as Washington criticised Tehran over its crackdown on nationwide protests, the Associated Press (AP) reported. Demonstrators burn a poster depicting Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during a rally in support of anti-government protests in Iran, in Holon, Israel Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg) US ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz said President Donald Trump was prepared to act if needed to stop the violence. “President Trump is a man of action, not endless talk like we see at the United Nations,” Waltz said. “He has made it clear that all options are on the table to stop the slaughter.” The meeting came after weeks of rising tension between Washington and Tehran. US and Iranian officials sat across from each other as the United States accused Iran of killing protesters. Activists say at least 2,637 people have died since demonstrations began last month over Iran’s weak economy and the collapse of its currency. Waltz’s comments came despite Trump signalling a possible easing of tensions, saying the killings appeared to be slowing. By Thursday, protests seemed largely contained, though Iran’s internet and communications blackout remained in place. At the US request, two Iranian dissidents Masih Alinejad and Ahmad Batebi addressed the council and spoke about their treatment by Iranian authorities. In a direct address to Iran’s UN representative, Alinejad said: “You have tried to kill me three times. I have seen my would-be assassin with my own eyes in front of my garden, in my home in Brooklyn.” She was referring to a failed plot in the United States. In October, two men were sentenced to 25 years in prison for hiring a hitman to kill her on behalf of Iran. Batebi told the council about abuse he suffered in prison, saying guards cut his body and poured salt into his wounds. “If you do not believe me, I can show you my body right now,” he said. Both dissidents urged the UN to hold Iran accountable for human rights abuses. Batebi appealed directly to Trump not to abandon Iranian protesters. “You encouraged people to go into the streets. That was a good thing. But don’t leave them alone,” he said. Ahead of the meeting, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi spoke by phone with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres. Iran’s Tasnim news agency said Araghchi accused the US of “illegal interventions” and urged the UN to condemn them. Meanwhile, Washington announced new sanctions on Iranian officials accused of suppressing the protests. The Group of Seven nations and the European Union said they were also considering further sanctions to increase pressure on Iran’s leadership, AP reported.

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