Iran denies killing protesters at UN Security Council

Iran’s deputy permanent representative to the United Nations denied reports that security forces have killed protesters, telling an emergency session of the UN Security Council on Thursday that such accusations are “fabricated narratives” promoted by the United States and its allies.

Gholamhossein Darzi said Iranian security forces were confronting armed “ISIS-style terrorist cells” and violent separatist groups, which he claimed were funded and armed by foreign actors, including Israel.

Darzi also rejected accusations that authorities imposed internet restrictions to conceal harm to civilians. He said the measures were temporary and necessary to counter cyberattacks, protect national infrastructure and disrupt what he described as “communications among terrorist networks” operating inside Iran.

Iran’s mission said Tehran does not seek escalation or confrontation but warned that any act of aggression would be met with a “decisive, proportionate and lawful response” under Article 51 of the UN Charter, adding that this was “a statement of legal reality, not a threat.”