The Government of Iran This Thursday, it adopted a defiant stance towards Washington, warning that any attack in retaliation for the repression of protests in the Persian nation would unleash a devastating response against the interests of the United States and its allies in the Middle East.
Iran’s deputy permanent representative to the UN, Gholamhossein Darzi, stated before the Security Council that his country will respond with “decisive” action and in accordance with international law to any aggression against his country, after US President Donald Trump threatened to launch a military attack.
The Iranian position came amid growing pressures following massive anti-government protests, which have resulted in thousands of victims and detainees, while the Republican Administration was evaluating military options and receiving calls from Israel and several Arab nations to desist from an offensive.
The Persian Ministry of Defense declared that the country “will use all its resources to crush the aggressors,” referring to the possibility of a US attack.
Officials in Tehran insisted that accusations of mass executions were part of a disinformation campaign aimed at provoking military intervention.
State television broadcast messages from top military commanders calling violent protesters “enemies of God,” an accusation that can carry the death penalty under Iranian law.
The warning came after weeks of protests that have left thousands dead, according to human rights organizations. The Government has imposed internet blackouts and deployed security forces in major cities and insists that it differentiates between “ordinary citizens” and “terrorists backed by foreign powers.”
Iran’s deputy permanent representative to the UN, Gholamhossein Darzi, affirms in the Security Council that his country will respond with “decisive” action to any aggression against it. https://t.co/dJg109ynfG pic.twitter.com/L2bQetcDQQ
— EFE News (@EFEnoticias) January 15, 2026
Trump oscillates between threat and caution
Trump had signaled since early January that he could order an attack if the Iranian government continued killing protesters. However, in recent days it has sent ambiguous signals, welcoming reports that some executions would not take place.
“This is good news, let’s hope it continues,” he wrote on social networks, citing reports on the case of young Erfan Soltani, whose alleged death sentence had generated international alarm.
Still, US officials confirmed that the Pentagon maintains lists of military options and has reinforced its presence in the region. The Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier and escort ships are heading to the Persian Gulf, while fighter jets and anti-missile systems have been deployed in strategic bases such as Al Udeid, in Qatar.
“The president has not ruled out anything,” said a senior official, who stressed that the decision will depend on the next steps of the Iranian security forces.
For his part, the United States ambassador to the UN, Mike Waltz, said this Thursday before the Security Council that “all options are on the table” with the aim of “stopping the massacre” against protesters in Iran.
Waltz noted that, although Tehran says it is willing to talk, “its actions demonstrate the opposite,” and accused Iranian leaders of governing through repression and violence, and destabilizing the region. press reports refer.
Israel and Arab partners ask to postpone offensive
On Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke to Trump to ask him to postpone any attack on Iran, according to sources and media reports.
According to a senior US official, Netanyahu expressed concern that a rushed offensive would trigger direct retaliation against Israel, which already suffered harsh Iranian missile attacks during last June’s war. On that occasion, numerous Iranian missiles managed to penetrate Israeli air defenses, causing civilian casualties and damage to military installations.
For their part, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Egypt joined the call for containment. Officials from those countries have been in contact with Washington in recent days.
These American allies in the Middle East warned that a US attack could spark a large-scale regional conflict. At the same time, they conveyed messages to Tehran to refrain from attacking its neighbors if the United States decides to act.
“We believe in dialogue and resolving any disagreements at the negotiating table,” Adel al-Jubeir, Saudi Minister of State, said during a forum in Riyadh.
Coordination among Arab nations reflects fear that their territories will become targets of Iranian retaliation, especially military bases and energy centers.
Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Oman have convinced US President Donald Trump to “give Iran a chance,” a senior Saudi official says. pic.twitter.com/rdGb5VNFwe
— Al Arabiya English (@AlArabiya_Eng) January 15, 2026
UN call and new sanctions
UN Deputy Secretary General Martha Pobee called for rejecting possible military attacks against Iran and thus avoiding a war escalation that could affect the entire region.
“We note with alarm various public statements suggesting possible military attacks against Iran. This external dimension adds volatility to an already explosive situation,” said Pobee, cited by EFE.
Pobee asked countries to “make all possible efforts to avoid further deterioration” of the situation and recalled that the Secretary General, António Guterres, advocates resolving “all concerns related to Iran, including those related to the nuclear issue and the ongoing protests” through diplomacy and dialogue, the report added.
As calls for restraint multiplied, the Treasury Department announced new sanctions against Ali Larijani, head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, and against 18 individuals and entities linked to the country’s clandestine financial network.
“We are on the side of the Iranian people,” wrote Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on the social network X, justifying the measures.
The Pentagon, for its part, evacuated non-essential personnel from the Al Udeid base, recalling that last June Iran launched missiles against that facility in retaliation for US attacks on nuclear sites. Although there were no victims then, the possibility of a new offensive keeps the American troops deployed in Iraq and Syria on alert.
Iran, a tragic balance
Organizations such as Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRANA) and Iran Human Rights, based in Norway, estimate that between 2,500 and 3,400 people have died since protests against the Iranian government began in December.
Testimonies from residents describe close-range shootings at protesters, motorcycle patrols and warnings sent by text message to discourage people from taking to the streets. Business owners and families have received threats that their children could be killed if they participate in the marches, according to these reports.
According to the Iranian Foreign Minister, Seyed Abbas Araqchi, the protests They began peacefully, driven by union and economic demands, but on January 7 and 8 they turned into acts of violence due to “the organized incursion of terrorist elements linked to the Zionist regime,” in reference to the Government of Israel.
The economic crisis, marked by the fall of the rial and uncontrolled inflation, was the initial trigger for the protests, which quickly transformed into a national movement against the Government. The shutdown of the internet has made it difficult to verify the magnitude of the demonstrations, but analysts agree that they are the largest in decades.
Previous mass protests in Iran have occurred in several waves since 1979, the year the Islamic revolution triumphed.
The most remembered demonstrations are those of 1999 (students in Tehran), 2009 (the “Green Movement” after the presidential elections), 2017–2018 (due to the economic crisis), 2019 (due to the increase in gasoline prices) and 2022–2023 (prompted by the “Women, Life, Freedom” movement) after the death of the young Mahsa Amini in a police station, where she was under arrest for not carry the hijab in accordance with official regulations.
