UN Security Council holds emergency meet on Iran protests

At Washington’s request, the UN Security Council was scheduled to hold an emergency meeting on Friday to discuss the wave of protests in Iran.

US envoy Nikki Haley warned ahead of the meeting that the demonstrations could escalate into full-blown conflict, drawing a comparison with Syria.

“The world has witnessed the horrors that have taken place in Syria, that began with a murderous regime denying its people’s right to peacefully protest,” Haley said in a statement on Thursday. “We must not let that happen in Iran.”

A total of 21 people have died and hundreds have been arrested since December 28 as protests over economic woes turned against the regime as a whole, with attacks on government buildings and police stations.

The US formally requested the meeting on Thursday, but Russia and some of the other council members are not convinced that the top UN body should discuss the unrest in Iran, diplomats said.

Russia has criticised the US push for Iran to be discussed at the Security Council and accused Washington of interfering in Iran’s domestic affairs after President Donald Trump backed the anti-government protests.

Diplomats said they expected Russia to request a procedural vote at the start of the meeting to decide whether the situation in Iran should be on the agenda.

For a new agenda item to be discussed at the Security Council, at least nine of the 15 council members must support holding the meeting. No vetoes apply.AFP