Araghchi: Tehran is Ready for War and for Dialogue

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated on Monday that the merchant protests, which began on December 28, started as "calm and legitimate" but were later steered toward violence. He claimed that Iranian security forces handled the demonstrations "peacefully" and that the government immediately initiated talks to listen to the protesters' demands.

Evidence of Sabotage: The Foreign Minister revealed that the government possesses evidence of security forces being fired upon to inflate the casualty count. He noted that most of those killed during the demonstrations were shot from behind, suggesting that security agencies were not responsible. He accused "terrorists" of targeting both protesters and security personnel to create chaos.

Stance on the US: Araghchi accused President Donald Trump of blatant interference in Iran's internal affairs, asserting that Trump’s threats escalated the protests into "bloody acts of violence" to justify U.S. intervention. In response to Trump’s warnings of a strong military reaction, Araghchi declared that Tehran is "ready for war and also for dialogue." He concluded by noting that while internet services will resume soon under security coordination, Iran holds documented proof of American and Israeli involvement in the unrest.