US Representative: The Islamic Republic is Weaker than Ever; The President of the United States Stands Firmly with the Brave People of Iran

Mike Waltz, the US representative to the United Nations, on Thursday at a meeting held regarding Iran in the council, called the Islamic Republic the main government supporting terrorism and responded to the regime's claims about anti-government protesters. Mr. Waltz said in his remarks: "I would like to address a claim made by the regime; that these protests are somehow inspired by a foreign conspiracy." He stated that this claim serves as a pretext for military action by the Islamic Republic against the protesters. The US representative said, "The whole world must know" that "this regime (the Islamic Republic) is weaker than ever, and for this reason, it is making this lie due to the power of the people of Iran in the streets. They are afraid. They are afraid of their own people." Mr. Waltz added that the Islamic Republic of Iran claims to be ready for dialogue, "but its actions show otherwise." He stated: "This is a regime that governs through repression, violence, and intimidation and has destabilized the Middle East for decades." Waltz said, "Enough is enough!" and "We all have a responsibility to support the people of Iran and put an end to the regime's indifference and repression against the Iranian nation." He addressed other members of the Security Council, saying, "Colleagues, let me be clear. President Trump is a man of action, not one for endless words, as we see at the United Nations. He has explicitly stated that to stop the slaughter, all options are on the table, and no one knows this better than the leadership of the [Islamic Republic] of Iran." Mr. Waltz began his remarks by saying, "Colleagues, let me be clear. The level of violence and the extent of repression that the [Islamic Republic] of Iran has unleashed against its own citizens has consequences for international peace and security. Today you will hear it said that this is not the case and that this is an internal matter. This claim is completely false and incorrect." He said, "The people of Iran want their freedom more than ever in the history of the brutal Islamic Republic. Unarmed and peaceful people who love their country have taken to the streets to achieve their legitimate demands for a better future." The US ambassador added that the message from the United States is that "President [of the United States] Donald J. Trump and the United States stand firmly with the brave people of Iran, period!" He said that regardless of all the "many excuses" that will be heard from the Islamic Republic of Iran and its "friends," "this regime is solely and entirely responsible for the economic misery of the people of Iran and the repression of their freedoms and will be held accountable for it." Mr. Waltz said, "Estimates of the number of protesters killed by the regime so far range from several thousand to tens of thousands. Although full awareness of the extent of this violence has been deliberately hidden by the regime's nationwide internet shutdown. Why has the internet been cut for weeks? Why have phone lines been cut? Why are commercial satellite communications being disrupted in very advanced ways? We have faced a complete blackout: no internet, no phone, nothing. Only thanks to the Starlink system do we have even a small and limited window into the crimes occurring." The US ambassador said that President Trump "has explicitly stated that he—and the international community—will not tolerate the crimes of the Islamic Republic that massacre innocents in the streets. Since 1979, for decades, this regime has posed a threat to peace and security in the name of a religious ideology. This regime chants 'Death to America' and seeks the destruction of Israel." He said that while citizens of Iran "cannot even meet their most basic needs" such as "food, drinking water, and medicines," the Islamic Republic "spends billions of dollars on developing its nuclear and ballistic missile programs to threaten its neighbors and the world and to support terrorism." Mr. Waltz said, "From the very beginning" of the establishment of the Islamic Republic, "this regime has been recognized as the world's largest state sponsor of terrorism" and referred to the regime's terrorist actions, including bombings in various parts of the world, adding that the Islamic Republic "is responsible for the deaths of over 600 American military personnel and countless others in Iraq." Ambassador Waltz said: "While the rulers of the Islamic Republic have enriched themselves from the repression and misery they have imposed on the people of Iran, the regime has been a serial and continuous violator of human rights since the very first day it came to power. And as you heard today,...young women, like Mahsa Amini, have been killed simply for the courage to remove their hijabs in public, and religious minorities have faced the most severe forms of persecution." He said, "These violations have been documented right here by this institution, detailed by the United Nations, and have been included in the Secretary-General's regular reports on the human rights situation in Iran; the latest of which was published just last year, in 2025." Earlier in response to developments in Iran, the White House announced on Thursday that officials of the Islamic Republic have "halted approximately 800 planned executions" following weeks of nationwide protests, and Washington is monitoring the situation "closely and continuously." Mr. Waltz said the Islamic Republic "has prioritized the interests and terrorist proxy forces in other countries over the welfare of its own citizens." The US ambassador added, "As a result of this regime's actions, pouring money into the pockets of terrorists, financing nuclear and missile programs instead of meeting the basic needs of the people of Iran, Iranians have become fed up. The regime's failure to fulfill its duty to its own citizens is what has brought the ayatollahs to the position they are in today; a position that, after decades of neglect and abuse, has brought hundreds of thousands—if not millions—into the streets." He addressed the Security Council, saying, "Everyone must ask themselves" how many have been killed? How many have been injured, disabled, and abused in the Middle East, in Israel, in Gaza, in Syria, in Lebanon, in Yemen, in Iraq, even in Venezuela, due to the support of this regime that is the "largest" state sponsor of terrorism. Caroline Levitt, a White House spokesperson, told reporters, "The President has been informed today that the 800 executions that were supposed to be carried out yesterday have been halted." She emphasized that the Trump administration is still evaluating developments related to Iran and that the possibility of further actions remains. Scott Busent, the US Treasury Secretary: Islamic Republic leaders are taking millions of dollars out. The White House: Halt of 800 executions in Iran; all options remain on the table for Donald Trump. Senator Lindsey Graham: The future leader of Iran will be chosen by the people of Iran. The US State Department: The Iranian regime is using military drones to suppress protesters.