The story: Addressing the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian has defended Iran’s human rights record, blaming the killings of protesters on “rioters.”

The trip to Switzerland followed speculations that a key architect of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal could join Amir-Abdollahian on a mission to revive the accord. This comes as the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has been invited to Tehran.

The coverage: The Iranian foreign minister addressed the 52^nd session of the UN Human Rights Council on Feb. 27 amid calls on social media for diplomats to walk out during his speech.

• Amir-Abdollahian defended the Islamic Republic’s response to months of deadly protests that first erupted in Sept. 2022, claiming that security forces "did not have permission to use firearms."
  
  
• The Iranian chief diplomat blamed the reported deaths of hundreds of protesters on "rioters" who "murdered many people" by allegedly using guns and bladed weapons.
  
  
• Amir-Abdollahian also criticized the...