UNITED NATIONS — Efforts by the Trump administration to marshal a muscular international response to Iran’s crackdown on anti-government protesters appeared to backfire on Friday, as members of the United Nations Security Council instead used a special session called by the United States to lecture the American ambassador on the proper purpose of the body and to reaffirm support for the Iran nuclear agreement. Washington (CNN) US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley warned Iran on Friday that no government can legitimately deny human rights, adding that the regime is "now on notice." "We have hard evidence of the violence in Iran by a handful of the protesters, in some cases resulting in the deaths of policeman and security officers, being very clearly directed from abroad," Khoshroo said on Friday.Iranian Envoy to the UN Gholam Ali Khoshroo also stressed that"The move by the United States to bring to this council protests in Iran by some of our citizens for legitimate grievances some exacerbated by none other than US itself in its dereliction of its obligation under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action [JCPOA] is an abuse of its power as a permanent member and an abuse of the council itself," Khoshroo said on Friday.Moreover, Khoshoroo pointed outIran should be the one calling for an investigation into the role of foreign elements instigating violence in the country, Khoshroo concluded.The UN Security Council meeting was called by the United States which has taken an active interest in what it sees as attempts by Iranian authorities to crack down on pro-democracy protesters. Addressing the largely-divided session on Friday, Iran’s Ambassador to the UN Gholamali Khoshroo expressed regret that the council had been forced to reconvene and discuss an issue that was “purely domestic.”

“It is unfortunate that despite the resistance on the part of some of its members, this council has allowed itself to be abused by the current US administration in holding a meeting on an issue that falls outside the scope of its mandate, putting on display the failure of the council to fulfill its real responsibility in maintaining international peace and security,” he asserted. However, let Iran deal with its own problems, especially since this is precisely what’s taking place.”

Russia further presented the US position as one of hypocrisy: "If we follow your logic, then we should have meetings of the Security Council after the events in Ferguson or after the dispersal by force of the Occupy Wall Street movement in Manhattan,” Vasiliy said. "If we follow your logic, then we should have meetings of the Security Council after the events in Ferguson or after the dispersal by force of the Occupy Wall Street movement in Manhattan.”

China's Deputy UN Ambassador Wu Haitao also took a similar line, saying the protests were a "domestic issue" of Iran and discussing them at the council "does not help resolve" them.
During a session of the United Nations Security Council, the United States repeat its "unapologetic" support for the ongoing Iranian protests. Russia denounces the "veiled [U.S.] attempt to use the current moment to continue to undermine" the JCPOA. France calls to "be wary of any attempt to exploit this crisis for personal ends".