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Foreign minister says he hopes Washington will choose ‘wise option’ of dialogue after Donald Trump threatens US intervention.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has warned the United States that his country is ready for war if Washington wants to “test” it, after US President Donald Trump threatened to take military action in response to Iran’s crackdown on antigovernment protests.

In an exclusive interview with Al Jazeera Arabic on Monday, Araghchi said channels of communication with the US were open amid the ongoing unrest but stressed that his country was “prepared for all options”, claiming that Iran now has “large and extensive military preparedness” compared to last year’s 12-day war.

His comments follow Trump’s remarks on Sunday, amid nationwide protests in Iran sparked by economic woes that have intensified into broader calls for systemic change.

The US president had said he was considering “strong options” for Iran over its leadership’s crackdown on protests, including potential military action.

Trump, who recently ordered the abduction of leftist Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in a US Special Forces intervention, said that a meeting was being set up with Tehran to negotiate on its nuclear programme , “but we may have to act because of what is happening before the meeting”.

“If Washington wants to test the military option it has tested before, we are ready for it,” said Araghchi, adding that he hoped the US would choose “the wise option” of dialogue, while warning of “those trying to drag Washington into war in order to serve Israel’s interests”.

In the interview, Araghchi alluded to the growing death toll, repeating earlier assertions that “terrorist elements” had “infiltrated the crowds of protesters and targeted security forces and demonstrators”. Iran has blamed the US and Israel for provoking unrest in the country over the past two weeks.

More than 100 security personnel have been killed in recent days, state media has reported, while opposition activists say the death toll is higher and includes hundreds of protesters. Al Jazeera has been unable to independently verify the figures.

The flow of information from Iran has been hampered by an internet blackout since Thursday. The foreign minister had said on Monday that the service would be resumed in coordination with security services. Monitor NetBlocks said at 16:29 GMT on Monday that Iran had been offline for 96 hours.

Araghchi told Al Jazeera Arabic that his communications with US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff had “continued before and after the protests and are still ongoing”. He said that ideas that had been discussed with Washington were being studied in Tehran.

However, he added, “Washington’s proposed ideas and threats against our country are incompatible.”

“We are ready to sit at the nuclear negotiating table, provided that it is without threats or dictates,” said Araghchi, questioning whether Washington was “ready for fair and just negotiations”.

“When it is ready, we will seriously consider the matter,” he said.


Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Sunday that the US military and Israel would be “legitimate targets” if Washington intervened in the current unrest, warning Washington of a “miscalculation”.

White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt accused Iran of sending “quite different” messages to the US in private, compared to its public statements, in an interview with the Fox News programme America Reports on Monday.

The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday that the White House was weighing Iran’s offer to engage in further military talks, even as Trump mulled strikes on the country.

The US last year bombed Iranian nuclear sites when it joined Israel’s 12-day war with Iran.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/1/12/iranian-fm-araghchi-warns-iran-ready-for-war-if-us-wants-to-test-it

Iran is trying to bite more than they can chew.

I like that they aren't accepting to be push overs...

God bless Iran, God bless Russia and China

Lovenorth:
God bless Iran, God bless Russia and China

No oooo

God is about to Punish the ruthless Iranian regime and there is absolutely nothing Russia or China would do to save them...

Just like they couldn't save Maduro from being captured by the US.

Thank you for your Attention on this Matter

Donald J Trump

President of the United States

God Bless America Forever 🇺🇸 🇺🇸 🇺🇸 🇺🇸 🇺🇸

brain54:
I like that they aren't accepting to be push overs...

Except that Iran is begging U.S.A.

Trump once joked that uptill now Iran hasn't replied the missiles he sent them since 2025.

They've killed 12,000 protesters so far, shut down the Internet but thanks to Star link and Elon who have given the Iranian people a free access to the world.

With this atrocities committed in Iran by Khamenie, the UN has not offered a single statement to support the people of Iran.

obi4eze:


Iran is trying to bite more than they can chew.

Close that your mouth chi chu chu

US is not isreal,....hope Iran is aware of that.
Negotiation remains the best option for them

Iran will be attacked this month 🤷🏿.

Iran will want to fire missiles at Israel 📌.

Ladies and gentlemen, there you have it. When war happens, I no want to read justice for Iran o. They said they're ready for war with the United States

obi4eze:


Iran is trying to bite more than they can chew.

By being prepared as a nation?!

Sure, if you're up for it, then why not?

There have been several wars in history.. This may be one of those. Probably will be named the 2-day US-Iranian war

Untill they call Russian and China and discovered they don't want to be part of it...

It is Only God that will saves the world from the hand of Pharaoh Trump.

Iran!!!

If this war starts, the damage that it will cause will be devastating

I wonder who is going to really miscalculate, if you piss Donald Trump off. Trump will make sure the regime end and order US forces to go in with enormous fire power never before seen in History with Israel following behind. It is going to be a massacre even though there will be casualties it is going to be 1000 dealth on Iran side before they get 10 US soldiers and regime change is feasible in Iran because Iranians want to truly change their brutal and oppressive government.

Heljnues and Co will stay from Nigeria and push them to war. When the war finally happens, they will start using their #50mb to do #saveIranianchildren.. They will start posting pics of starving children + women.

Typical attitude of "Ori slammers". They will start a fight they can't finish and start shouting oppression when they re losing.

Maduro of Venezuela said the same thing, in fact he called Trump a coward. Yet, it took Trump 2 hours to capture him

The Iranian govt doesn't want to go down a lone but he should learn from Maduro

Enough of words, they should just fight themselves so that each of them will know who is who, for now stop disturbing us with headlines.

Iran be like goat wey no get horn but like fight 🤣🤣🤣😂

Them go collect

Iran are not regular push overs

brain54:
I like that they aren't accepting to be push overs...

Make you pack those kwantry nah
I wan check something

Just like the way Iran uses the word "Legitimate".


Iran should be concerned about its leaders not the War. Israel and US has high precision targets so its just yo pick few leader and the War is over

The regime is in its last days. I see fear in his talk. You are ready for war and also ready to negotiate. That is a talk surrender and still try to cover the shame of defeat. The regime is vulnerable now. If war starts protesters will support America to achieve their aim

Has Tag #freeiran loading in 3,2,1.

Na so the other guys run mouth on that very day in October, Las Las dem turn to hashtag

89green:
Iran are not regular push overs

Just because you be USA hater abi?
No worry dem go collect very soon

Iran boasted more than this when USA baby (Israel) was dealing with them.

89green:
Iran are not regular push overs

The state of Texas alone would fall Iran in 2 weeks

Most you mention Israel?

Better don't wake the sleeping dog o