Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations used the global stage to deflect responsibility for the regime’s deadly crackdown on nationwide protests, blaming the United States and Israel for the killing of civilians inside Iran. Speaking before the UN Security Council on January 16, 2026, Iran’s deputy ambassador Gholamhossein Darzi claimed that foreign powers were inciting unrest in an effort to destabilize the country and provoke wider conflict.

Darzi asserted that “everything that’s going on in Iran” — including the deaths of civilians — was the result of U.S. and Israeli actions, echoing rhetoric repeatedly used by Tehran’s leadership as protests have spread across the country. The remarks came amid growing international scrutiny of Iran’s response to demonstrations that began in late December 2025 over economic hardship and political repression.

Human rights organizations and independent observers paint a sharply different picture. Reports indicate that Iranian security forces have used mass shootings, executions, and widespread arrests to suppress dissent. Thousands of protesters are believed to have been killed, with many more detained as authorities label demonstrators as terrorists to justify severe punishments.

Iran’s effort to externalize blame mirrors statements from Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other senior officials who have accused U.S. President Donald Trump and Israel of orchestrating internal unrest. Critics argue this strategy is designed to distract from the regime’s own actions while rallying hardline supporters and discouraging international intervention.

U.S. officials have rejected Tehran’s accusations, emphasizing that responsibility for the violence rests solely with the Iranian government. Israel has likewise dismissed the claims as propaganda, noting that Iran’s leadership routinely blames foreign enemies to excuse internal repression.

As calls grow for independent investigations into the killings, Iran’s UN statements underscore a familiar pattern: denying accountability, deflecting blame, and attempting to reframe domestic brutality as foreign aggression, even as evidence of systemic repression continues to mount.