Iranian FM says ready for war but open to dialogue following Trump's threats

TEHRAN -- Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said his country is ready for war but remains open to dialogue, after U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. military is considering "very strong options" regarding Iran amid recent unrest.

In an interview with Al Jazeera on Monday, Araghchi said, "If Washington wants to test the military option it has tested before, we are ready for it," adding that he hoped the United States would choose dialogue.

He added that communications with U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff had "continued before and after the protests and are still ongoing."

Araghchi's interview followed Trump's threat to resort to "some very strong options," including potential military action against Iran, in response to Iran's "crackdown" on protesters. Trump told reporters on Sunday that Iranian officials had contacted the United States to propose negotiations, adding that "a meeting is being set up."

Protests have erupted in many Iranian cities since Dec. 28. They initially began with Tehran bazaar merchants demonstrating against the sharp devaluation of the national currency rial, and soaring inflation, before spreading to other cities. The unrest has led to casualties among both security forces and civilians.

The unrest has fueled claims by Iranian authorities that the United States and Israel may be behind the scenes.

In his interview with Al Jazeera, Araghchi also explained the reason behind Iran's Internet shutdown following the unrest.

"We have recorded voices of individuals giving orders from abroad to terrorist agents, instructing them to fire at police forces and fire at demonstrators if police forces were not present. Their intention was to spread killing," Araghchi said.