U.S. Ambassador Mike Waltz confronted Iran's representative at the United Nations Security Council this week, declaring Tehran "will not silence" the body following drone and missile strikes on Bahrain and Kuwait.
"Let me remind you where you are," Waltz told Iranian diplomat Amir Saeid Iravani. "This is the United States of America. This is the United Nations Security Council. You will not silence this body."
The emergency meeting followed Iranian attacks on the Gulf states, which Bahrain's foreign minister said included 203 ballistic missiles and 605 armed drones since late February, killing three civilians and injuring 465 others.
Ambassador Waltz displayed images he said showed the aftermath of Iranian strikes on civilian areas, including a destroyed Bahraini home, a targeted hotel, and a first responders' building.
Iravani accused the U.S. and allies of "lies and disinformation," claiming Iran was the victim of unlawful aggression and that Western members were attempting to justify military actions against Tehran.
The exchanges began after an Iranian drone struck a merchant vessel off Oman, prompting U.S. retaliatory strikes on Iranian missile and drone storage sites. President Trump warned that continued Iranian aggression could lead to the elimination of the Islamic Republic.