'All Options On Table': US To UN After Trump Softens Tone On Iran, Gulf Allies Step In | Top Points

Last Updated:January 16, 2026, 08:13 IST

The US warned that all options, including military action, were on the table against Iran as President Donald Trump signalled a softer tone on Tehran amid protests.

Members of the UN Security Council meet on Iran at the request of the United States. (Reuters)

Amid violent protests in Iran that kept the world on edge, US and Iranian officials faced off during an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council, where the American envoy warned that all options were on the table against the Islamic Republic despite President Donald Trump’s softer tone on Tehran.

“Colleagues, let me be clear: President Trump is a man of action, not endless talk like we see at the United Nations," said Mike Waltz, the US Ambassador to the UN. “He has made it clear that all options are on the table to stop the slaughter. And no one should know that better than the leadership of the Iranian regime."

Waltz’s remarks came as uncertainty looms over possible US action against Iran over the protests, in which thousands of dissenters have been killed in a brutal crackdown by the Islamic Republic’s security forces. Protests in Iran have largely abated, as per reports, as the internet blackout continues.

Death toll figures have varied, with the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) saying it has verified the deaths of 2,435 protesters and 153 government-affiliated individuals. The Norway-based Iran Human Rights (IHR) NGO said Iranian security forces had killed at least 3,428 protesters.

Iran Fires Back At US, Warns Of Aggression

At the UNSC Meeting, Iran’s Deputy UN Ambassador Gholamhossein Darzi said Iran does not seek escalation or confrontation and accused Waltz of resorting “to lies, distortion of facts, and a deliberate misinformation campaign to conceal his country’s direct involvement in steering unrest in Iran to violence."

“However, any act of aggression – direct or indirect – will be met with a decisive, proportionate, and lawful response," he told the Security Council. “This is not a threat; it is a statement of legal reality."

Russia’s UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia also accused the United States of convening the Security Council in a bid to “justify blatant aggression and interference in the internal affairs of a sovereign state" and threats to “solve the Iranian problem in its favourite way: through strikes aimed at overthrowing an undesirable regime."

Trump’s Softer Tone On Iran

Earlier, Trump adopted a wait‑and‑see posture, saying he had been told that the killings were easing and that he believed there was no current plan for large-scale executions. He said he had now received assurances from “very important sources on the other side" that Tehran had now stopped, and that executions would not go ahead.

Asked by an AFP reporter in the Oval Office if US military action was now off the table, Trump replied: “We’re going to watch it and see what the process is." The White House said Iran halted 800 executions under pressure from Trump, but military action remains an option.

Additionally, US Senator Lindsey Graham rejected media reports claiming Trump had ruled out military action against Iran, calling the coverage “beyond inaccurate". He said the circumstances around the decisive action against the “evil" Iranian regime have nothing to do with President Trump’s will or determination.

On the other hand, Iran’s envoy to Pakistan, Reza Amiri Moghadam, said Trump has informed Iran that he does not intend to attack and has asked Tehran to exercise restraint. Moghadam said he received the information on Wednesday, indicating that Trump did not want war.

Gulf Allies Urge Trump Against Strikes

Meanwhile, top officials from Egypt, Oman, Saudi Arabia and Qatar urged Trump to hold off on strikes against Iran, citing concerns over the impact on global economy and regional stability. “The Gulf trio led a long, frantic, diplomatic last-minute effort to convince President Trump to give Iran a chance to show good intentions," an unnamed Saudi official told AFP.

A second Gulf official confirmed the talks, adding that a message was also conveyed to Iran that attacking US regional facilities would “have consequences". The New York Times reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also warned Trump against strikes.

The Saudi official said the Gulf outreach was aimed at preventing “an uncontrollable situation in the region," warning Washington that any attack on Iran could trigger serious regional fallout.

New Sanctions Against Iranian Officials

Meanwhile, the US announced new sanctions on Iranian officials accused of suppressing the protests. G7 partners and the European Union also said they too were looking at new sanctions to ratchet up the pressure on Iran’s theocratic government.

The US Treasury Department targeted Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme Council for Security, for using force against demonstrators. US authorities said he coordinated the state’s security response to the demonstrations on behalf of Iran’s supreme leadership.

The sanctions also target senior commanders from Iran’s security and paramilitary structures, including officials linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and internal law enforcement units. US officials accused these forces of firing live ammunition at protesters and carrying out violent operations during the unrest.

(with inputs from agencies)

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