New York [US], January 3 (ANI): United States Ambassador to the United Nations Michael Waltz on Saturday rejected Iran's recent outreach to the UN, accusing Tehran of ignoring its own record while seeking international support.

In a post on X, Waltz wrote, 'The Iranian regime's whining to the UN ignores decades of sponsoring terrorism & crushing their own people. America & @Potus stand firmly with Iranians yearning for freedom!'

https://x.com/USAmbUN/status/2007303025774473567?s=20

Waltz's remarks came after Iran's permanent representative to the United Nations, Amir Saeed Iravani, wrote to the UN secretary-general and the president of the UN Security Council, calling for condemnation of what he described as 'unlawful threats' against Tehran by United States President Donald Trump amid ongoing protests in Iran.

The letter was sent on Friday, hours after Trump warned that the US was 'locked and loaded and ready to go' if additional protesters were killed during demonstrations linked to rising living costs.

In his communication, Iravani urged UN chief Antonio Guterres and Security Council members to 'unequivocally and firmly condemn' Trump's 'reckless and provocative statements', calling them 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 wrote in the letter, which was published in full by Iran's state-run IRNA news agency.

The letter further said Iran's government 'reiterates its inherent right to defend its sovereignty' and would '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.

The exchange unfolded as protests continued across Iran. According to IRNA, demonstrations were reported on Friday in cities including Qom, Marvdasht, Yasuj, Mashhad and Hamedan, as well as in Tehran neighbourhoods such as Tehranpars and Khak Sefid.

The unrest spread nationwide after shopkeepers in Tehran went on strike on Sunday over soaring prices and prolonged economic stagnation. Officials said at least nine people have been killed and 44 arrested so far.

The deputy governor of Qom province said another individual died after a grenade exploded in his hand, describing the incident as an attempt to provoke unrest.

Amid the protests, Trump said in a post on Truth Social that if Iran 'violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue'.

Iranian officials pushed back against the remarks. Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, said US interference 'is equivalent to chaos across the entire region and the destruction of American interests'.

The protests come as Iran faces severe economic strain, including a rapidly depreciating currency and high inflation, compounded by years of drought in Tehran, a city of around 10 million people.

Iranian leaders have adopted a comparatively conciliatory tone, with President Masoud Pezeshkian saying the government is at 'fault' for the situation and pledging to seek solutions.

Tensions between Tehran and Washington remain elevated following US strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites in June 2025, during a 12-day escalation involving Israel, an operation Trump later described as a 'very successful attack'.

Last week, during a joint appearance with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump warned that the US would 'knock the hell out' of Iran if it advanced its nuclear or ballistic weapons programmes. The remarks came amid renewed Israeli efforts to resume attacks on Iran.

Pezeshkian has said Iran would respond with a 'severe' reaction to any aggression. (ANI)