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View all search resultsIran 'not seeking war but fully prepared for war': foreign minister
"The Islamic Republic of Iran is not seeking war but is fully prepared for war," Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told a conference of foreign ambassadors in Tehran broadcast by state TV. "We are also ready for negotiations but these negotiations should be fair, with equal rights and based on mutual respect."
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Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi speaks to the press during a visit to the shrine of slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut's southern suburbs on January 8, 2026. (AFP/Anwar Amro)
I
ran is fully prepared for conflict but also ready for negotiations, its foreign minister said on Monday, as US President Donald Trump said the Iranian leadership was seeking talks after he threatened to intervene militarily over a crackdown on protests.
"The Islamic Republic of Iran is not seeking war but is fully prepared for war," Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told a conference of foreign ambassadors in Tehran broadcast by state TV. "We are also ready for negotiations but these negotiations should be fair, with equal rights and based on mutual respect."
Earlier, President Donald Trump said the US may meet Iranian officials and was in contact with the opposition, as he weighed a range of strong responses including military options to a violent crackdown on Iranian protests which pose one of the biggest challenges to clerical rule since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Trump has warned Iran's leaders that the United States would attack if security forces open fire on protesters.
US-based rights group HRANA said it had verified the deaths of 490 protesters and 48 security personnel, with more than 10,600 people arrested.
Iran has not given an official toll and Reuters was unable to independently verify the tallies.
Trump said on Sunday that Iran had called to negotiate its nuclear programme, which Israel and the US bombed in a 12-day war in June.
"Iran wants to negotiate, yes. We might meet with them. A meeting is being set up, but we may have to act because of what is happening before the meeting, but a meeting is being set up. Iran called, they want to negotiate," Trump told reporters on Air Force One.
Trump was to meet with senior advisers on Tuesday to discuss options for Iran, a US official told Reuters on Sunday. The Wall Street Journal had reported that options included military strikes, using secret cyber weapons, widening sanctions and providing online help to anti-government sources.
Also on Monday, China said it opposes foreign "interference" in other countries after Trump threatened to intervene militarily if Tehran killed protesters.
"We always oppose interference in other countries' internal affairs," foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told a regular news conference when asked about Trump's comments.
"We call on all parties to do more things conducive to peace and stability in the Middle East," she added.
