TASS- A senior Russian lawmaker has called on the United Nations to condemn the United States� support to the anti-government riots in Iran as a flagrant interference into domestic affairs of a foreign state.

"When the US president promises the insurgents �great support from the United States at the appropriate time,� I think it is a no less important topic for discussion at the United Nations than riots in Iran as such," Konstantin Kosachev, chairman of the international committee of Russia�s Federation Council upper parliament house, told TASS on Thursday.

He said he supported the position of Iran�s permanent representative to the United Nations, who had already filed an official complaint to the United Nations accusing the United States of interference into his country�s domestic affairs and incitement to violence. "I think this position should be supported - we cannot pretend that the United States has the right to such statements in support of anti-government riots in other countries," he stressed. "I think it�s high time the �global instigator� be slapped on the wrist quite officially."

According to the Russian lawmaker, the United States� rather confusing reaction to the developments in Iran may mean that it was not Washington that had initially been behind the protests in the Iranian cities. "Washington seems to have a rather vague idea of the driving forces of these protests, and these driving forces are not the same as those that used to inspire Iranian street protest before. Or it may mean that the United States, on the contrary, understands that what is going on in Iran is not a color revolution like in neighboring countries as the protesters in no way seek to turn the country towards the West," Kosachev noted.



However, "it never stops Washington from seeking to get in on the Iranian protests, irrespective of their goals but simply using them as a chance to �shake� the unwanted regime and involve the international community as much as possible," he said. "Thus, having announced that the Iranian developments would be a subject for discussion at a United Nations emergency session, the United States obviously seeks to make its open and flagrant interference into the Iranian affairs look more or less legitimate, as its actions cannot be called other than open and flagrant interference."

Protests erupted in Iran on December 28 when people took to the streets to protest against rising prices. At least 20 have been killed in clashes with police, including police officers. Iran�s authorities say that more than 450 people have been arrested for participating in riots.

On January 3, commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Mohammad Ali Jafari said the riots were over, with the insurgents defeated.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump wrote on his Twitter account that the Iranian people had finally stood up against "the brutal and corrupt" regime and promised "great support from the United States at the appropriate time."

On Tuesday, US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley said that Washington would initiative the debate on the situation in Iran at the UN headquarters in New York and at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva in the coming days. She did not specify though whether the issue at hand is convening an emergency UN Security Council meeting or whether the discussion would take place in a different format.