The United States “stands by the brave people of Iran," US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz told the UN Security Council on Thursday, adding that President Donald Trump “has made it clear all options are on the table to stop the slaughter."
“President Trump is a man of action, not endless talk like we see at the United Nations. He has made it clear all options are on the table to stop the slaughter," Waltz said at the meeting, which the US had requested.
He rejected Tehran’s claims that the protests are “a foreign plot to give a precursor to military action."
“Everyone in the world needs to know that the regime is weaker than ever before, and therefore is putting forward this lie because of the power of the Iranian people in the streets. They are afraid. They're afraid of their own people," Waltz said.
Trump has repeatedly warned that he may intervene on behalf of protesters in Iran, where thousands have reportedly been killed in the regime’s crackdown on protests against it.
While at one point on Wednesday, tensions seemed to be at their highest and US action in Iran seemed imminent, matters later calmed as Trump claimed that the killing of protesters had ceased.
"We have been notified pretty strongly that the killing in Iran is stopping, and there's no plan for executions or an execution," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.
He noted that "I've been told that in good authority. We'll find out about it, I'm sure. If it happens, we'll be very upset."
Despite Trump’s comments, US Senator Lindsey Graham on Thursday refuted reports that the President was backing down from US action in Iran.
"All the headlines like these are examples of reporting that are beyond inaccurate," he wrote.
"The circumstances around the necessary, decisive action to be taken against the evil Iranian regime have nothing to do with President Trump’s will or determination. Nothing could be further from the truth. Quite the opposite. Stay tuned," added Graham.