Iran Open to Dialogue, Ready for War Amid Trump Warnings

Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araqchi, stated in an English translation on Monday that the country’s situation is “under total control” following a spike in violence related to protests over the weekend. During an English-language briefing for foreign ambassadors in Tehran on Monday, Araqchi stated, “We are prepared for both war and dialogue.”

He claimed that “terrorists” were inspired to target demonstrators and security personnel to encourage international intervention after Donald Trump threatened to take measures against Tehran if the rallies turned violent.

Amidst growing anti-government demonstrations in Iran, Araqchi’s comments served as a response to Trump’s statement that he was considering possible military action against the country. When reporters on Air Force One questioned whether Iran had crossed his previously declared “red line” regarding the killing of demonstrators, Trump replied, “They’re starting to, it looks like.”

“We’re taking it extremely seriously. We are considering some extremely powerful possibilities, and the military is investigating [them]. We’ll decide,” he declared. Additionally, he claimed that following his threats of military action, Iran’s leadership had called to negotiate. According to Trump, “the Iranian leaders called” yesterday, and “a meeting is being set up…6 They want to negotiate.”

However, Trump warned that “we may have to act before a meeting.” Regarding the violent protests in the oil-rich Middle Eastern nation, China stated on Monday that it believes the Iranian government and its people will be able to overcome current challenges and maintain stability.

In response to questions regarding Trump’s threat of military intervention, a representative for China’s foreign ministry stated that China opposes the use of force—or the threat of it—in international affairs. “We have consistently opposed interference in the internal affairs of other nations and have consistently maintained that the sovereignty and security of all countries should be fully safeguarded under international law,” stated spokesperson Mao Ning during a regular press briefing.