Iran warned it would respond “with everything we have” to any new US military attack, accusing Washington and its allies of exploiting the recent unrest to push the region toward a broader war.
In a Wall Street Journal op-edForeign Minister Abbas Araghchi said protests in Iran started peacefully before they were hijacked by “foreign and domestic terrorist actors,” leading to a violent crackdown and a near-total shutdown of the internet and communications.
He blamed US rhetoric for escalating the bloodshed, arguing that warnings from President Donald Trump created incentives for mass violence.
While emphasizing that Iran prefers diplomacy, Araghchi warned that future attacks would provoke a much stronger response and risk sparking a protracted regional conflict.
KHAMENEI CALLS TRUMP A ‘CRIMINAL’, ACCUSES HIM OF DEADLY PROTESTS SWIMMING IRAN
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi awaits the arrival of his Qatari counterpart before their meeting in Tehran on August 26, 2024. (Atta Kenare/AFP via Getty Images)
“While Iranians grieve their loved ones and rebuild what has been destroyed, another threat looms: the final failure of diplomacy. In contrast to the restraint shown by Iran in June 2025, our mighty armed forces have no qualms about firing back with everything we have if we are attacked again,” he said.
“Iran’s message to President Trump is clear: the U.S. has tried every conceivable hostile act against Iran, from sanctions and cyber attacks to outright military strikes — and recently clearly fomented a major terrorist operation — all of which failed. It’s time to think differently. Try respect, which can take us further than you might think.”
Trump is considering military action against Tehran, with US troops entering the region amid international scrutiny of the crackdown that has killed thousands of anti-government protesters.
KEANE WARNS IRAN’S LEADERSHIP TO TAKE TRUMP ‘at HIS WORD’ as military assets enter region
An Iranian man looks at a bus burned during recent anti-government unrest, displayed in a square in central Tehran, Iran, Sunday, January 18, 2026. (Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), which tracks human rights abuses in Iran, said on Tuesday nationwide protests continued to the 24th day.
The group’s aggregated figures showed 629 recorded protests, the arrest of at least 26,314 people and the confirmed deaths of 4,519 individuals.
HRANA said 4,251 of the dead were protesters, including 33 children under the age of 18.
The United Nations Human Rights Council announced it will hold a special session on Friday to address the deteriorating human rights situation in Iran.
Iranian clerics stand inside an Islamic seminary that was set on fire during protests in Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, January 21, 2026. (Majid Asgaripour/West Asia News Agency via REUTERS)
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Iranian journalist Elaheh Mohammadi said on
“The city smells of death. In my entire life I have never seen snow fall in Tehran or seen a single person even smile,” she wrote. “Hard days have passed and everyone is bewildered; a whole country is in mourning, a whole country holds back its tears, a whole country has a lump in its throat.”
