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UN Security Council to hold emergency session on Iran crisis
The United Nations Security Council will convene an emergency session on January 15, 2026, at the request of the United States, to address the worsening crisis in Iran. Government forces have unleashed a brutal crackdown on anti-regime protests, leaving thousands dead and raising fears of broader regional conflict.
This meeting comes as the Trump administration weighs military options against Tehran while emphasizing diplomatic pressure. Iran has shuttered its airspace to most commercial flights, the United States has begun evacuating personnel from its largest Middle East military base, and conflicting letters to the UN underscore the deepening standoff between Washington and Tehran.
The death toll from the suppression of demonstrators has drawn widespread international condemnation. The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency reported on Wednesday that at least 2,615 protesters have been killed and more than 18,400 arrested since demonstrations began on December 28. CBS News cited sources estimating 12,000 to 20,000 fatalities.
Amnesty International has documented what it calls unprecedented mass unlawful killings since January 8, when Iranian authorities imposed a nationwide internet blackout. The group identified at least 205 distinct body bags in a makeshift morgue near Tehran.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk stated on Monday that the killing of peaceful protesters must stop, describing reports of expedited death penalty proceedings for demonstrators as extremely alarming.
President Trump escalated his rhetoric on Tuesday via Truth Social, posting: "Iranian patriots, KEEP PROTESTING -- TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR INSTITUTIONS!!! Note the names of the killers and executioners. They will pay a heavy price." He announced the cancellation of all meetings with Iranian officials until the violence ends.
By Wednesday, Trump appeared to soften his stance, telling reporters he had been informed that "the killings in Iran are stopping" and that planned executions of detained protesters would not occur. "We were told by a reliable source," he said at the White House.
Iran's UN ambassador, Amir Saeid Iravani, fired back in a letter to UN Secretary-General António Guterres and Security Council President Abukar Dahir Osman of Somalia. He accused Trump of openly inciting violence and violating the UN Charter's prohibition on interfering in sovereign states' internal affairs.
The United States has ordered a partial evacuation of personnel from Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, its largest facility in the Middle East, according to Reuters and the Qatari government. This mirrors actions taken before U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear sites in June 2025.
Iranian armed forces declared a maximum state of alert to repel any attack, with Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh vowing to defend the country "with all our forces and to the last drop of blood." Ali Shamkhani, advisor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, referenced Iran's June missile strike on Al Udeid, posting on social media that Trump "might as well mention the destruction of the U.S. base" too.
Iran closed its airspace to commercial flights Wednesday evening without explanation, disrupting a key east-west corridor, and extended the closure through Thursday morning.
