Iran’s United Nations ambassador Amir Saeed Iravani, has written to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the president of the UN Security Council, calling on them to condemn “unlawful threats” from United States President Donald Trump amid ongoing protests in the country.
The letter sent on Friday, came hours after Trump said the US was “locked and loaded and ready to go” if any more protesters were killed in demonstrations over the cost of living.
Iravani urged the UN chief and Security Council members to “unequivocally and firmly condemn” Trump’s “reckless and provocative statements,” describing them as a “serious violation” of the UN Charter and international law.
“Any attempt to incite, encourage or legitimise internal unrest as a pretext for external pressure or military intervention is a gross violation of the sovereignty, political independence and territorial integrity of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Iravani said in the letter, which was published in full by the Iran’s state news agency.
The letter added that Iran’s government “reiterates its inherent right to defend its sovereignty” and will “exercise its rights in a decisive and proportionate manner.”
“The United States of America bears full responsibility for any consequences arising from these illegal threats and any subsequent escalation of tensions,” Iravani added.
Irani media reported that protests continued across Iran on Friday, with people gathering in Qom, Marvdasht, Yasuj, Mashhad, and Hamedan, as well as in Tehran neighborhoods including Tehranpars and Khak Sefid.
The protests erupted after shopkeepers in Tehran went on strike Sunday over high prices and economic stagnation.
At least nine people have been killed and 44 arrested during the unrest. The deputy governor of Qom province said another person died after a grenade exploded in his hand, which authorities described as an attempt to incite further unrest.
