Iran ambassador tells U.S. envoy Waltz to ‘be polite’ at UN meeting

Iranian Ambassador to the United Nations Saeid Iravani sparred with US envoy Mike Waltz at a Security Council session on Sunday, telling the American ambassador to “be nice”; This prompted a harsh rebuke from Waltz, who accused Tehran of killing “tens of thousands” of its citizens and imprisoning many more simply because they wanted to be rid of “your tyranny.”

“I have only one word: I advise the US representative to be polite,” Iravani said during the emergency meeting. he said.

A few minutes later, Waltz responded: “Frankly, I will not dignify this with another response, especially when this representative sits here in this body representing a regime that has killed tens of thousands of its people and imprisoned many more simply because it wants to be rid of your tyranny.”

This exchange took place during an emergency Security Council briefing as the United States, Israel and Iran entered the war; diplomats offered very different interpretations of the expanding military campaign and its legality under international law.

In lengthy remarks at the hearing, Waltz rejected what he described as Iran’s “ridiculous and frankly ridiculous claim” that the United States’ actions violated international law, arguing that the United States had acted “in close coordination with the Government of Israel” and “in accordance with Article 51 of the United Nations Charter on self-defense.”

He also reiterated that Iran has supported armed proxies in the region and has been destabilizing the Middle East for decades.

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U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz speaks at a United Nations Security Council meeting at U.N. headquarters in New York City following U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran, U.S. February 28, 2026. (Heather Khalifa/Reuters)

The conflict emerged against the backdrop of broader debates over Iran’s position within the UN system, as previously reported by Fox News Digital. Last month, Iran was elected vice-chairman of the UN Charter Committee, a body focused on examining and strengthening the principles of the UN’s founding instrument; it was a move that sparked criticism from Israeli and Western officials.

Earlier that month, Fox News Digital also reported the backlash after UN Secretary-General António Guterres sent a congratulatory message to Iran on the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution; Critics of the gesture described it as “disgustingly tone-deaf” given Tehran’s human rights record.

Iranian Ambassador to the United Nations Amir-Saeid Iravani attended the United Nations Security Council meeting after the United States and Israel launched an attack against Iran at the UN headquarters in New York City on February 28, 2026. (Heather Khalifa/Reuters)

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The United States will assume the rotating presidency of the Security Council on March 1; This role rotates monthly and gives the presiding country control over the council’s agenda and meeting schedule, placing Washington in a key procedural position as tensions continue to escalate.

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