Waltz: Human rights abuses in Iran are well-documented
U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Mike Waltz says Iran’s Islamic regime is responsible for the deaths of ‘countless’ Americans, and it is on an ‘illegal march’ toward a nuclear weapon.
A tense debate over Iran turned confrontational on "Piers Morgan Uncensored" after Iranian-born former Canadian politician Goldie Ghamari accused "The Young Turks" host Cenk Uygur of spreading "jihadi Islamist propaganda" during a roundtable on anti-regime protests and U.S. policy.
The political commentators appeared on Morgan’s show Tuesday to discuss widespread anti-regime protests in Iran that have resulted in a deadly crackdown by the government and internet blackouts, according to human rights activists.
President Donald Trump has threatened action against the regime, warning Tehran in multiple Truth Social posts to stop killing its people.
Uygur warned against American intervention, arguing it would be counterproductive and risk repeating past foreign policy failures.
Iranian security forces escalated from pellet guns to live ammunition during protests. (Getty)
IRAN SHUTS DOWN AIRSPACE, FOREIGN OFFICIALS WARN AGAINST TRAVEL TO ISRAEL
"And I guarantee you that both Israel and America do not want democracy in Iran," he said. "What they want instead is a puppet leader. So, they will bring in the former shah, a king, a dictator who will do everything that Israel wants, and then the Iranian people will revolt against him, and then we'll go through the cycle again and again and again."
Ghamari sharply responded, arguing Uygur did not understand the plight of Iranians. As she began her response, the two quickly started interrupting each other.
"I mean, first of all, Cenk is not Iranian, so he has no idea what's going on in occupied Iran," Ghamari said. "Pretty sure Cenk doesn't speak Persian either."
Uygur cut in to correct Ghamari with, "No, actually, it's Farsi."
What began as a debate over how the U.S. should respond to unrest in Iran quickly turned into a personal showdown on "Piers Morgan Uncensored," as panelists Cenk Uygur and Goldie Ghamari accused each other of misinformation and talked over one another on-air. (YouTube/Piers Morgan Uncensored)
"Persian is the English word for Farsi," she retorted. "So, don't correct me when I'm speaking, and don't interrupt me. I let you speak your garbage jihadi Islamist propaganda."
Ghamari responded that Uygur did not have the right to interrupt her as she spoke "on behalf of 90 million Iranians," and the back-and-forth continued.
"You're not speaking on behalf of all Iranians," Uygur said, before asking Ghamari when she was elected by the people of Iran.
"Yes I am," she responded.
Protesters burn images of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during a rally organized by the National Council of Resistance of Iran in central London Jan. 11, 2026. (Carlos Jasso/AFP via Getty Images)
G7 THREATENS IRAN WITH NEW SANCTIONS OVER NATIONWIDE PROTEST CRACKDOWN KILLING THOUSANDS
"Why are you speaking over me?" Ghamari repeated before slamming Uygur's comments again as "garbage propaganda."
Uygur disputed that she spoke for Iranians, and the exchange continued as Morgan attempted to move the discussion forward.
After the interruption-heavy exchange, Ghamari went on to argue that the 1979 Iranian Revolution was "not actually a revolution," calling it "an Islamic coup d'état" and saying Iranians were trying to "rectify" what she described as a decades-long mistake.
She also referenced exiled Iranian Prince Reza Pahlavi, arguing the country should "return our king," and described Iran as a "constitutional monarchy" prior to 1979.
President Donald Trump has yet to give exiled Iranian crown prince Reza Pahlavi the green light to lead if the regime in Iran falls. (Joel Saget/AFP via Getty Images)
FREED IRANIAN PRISONER SAYS ‘IN TRUMP, THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC HAS MET ITS MATCH’
Ghamari did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. Uygur mocked Ghamari's claim that he was spreading Islamist propaganda in a comment to Fox News Digital.
"That’s hilarious. I’m atheist," he said. "These propagandists will say anything to drag America into a war. If Israel wants this war, why don’t they pay for it and fight it themselves? We should stop fighting Israel’s wars for it. We should stand up for American interests instead."
The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), which tracks human rights violations in Iran, said Wednesday that nationwide protests continued into an 18th day as authorities maintained a near-total internet shutdown.
On Thursday, supporters of the Iranian regime chanted "death to America" and held signs calling for the assassination of President Trump.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Fox News' Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.
Fox News First
Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox.
By entering your email and clicking the Subscribe button, you agree to the Fox News Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, and agree to receive content and promotional communications from Fox News. You understand that you can opt-out at any time.
