Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has warned the United States that his country is ready for war if Washington wants to “test” it, after US President Donald Trump threatened to take military action in response to Iran’s crackdown on antigovernment protests.

In an exclusive interview with Al Jazeera Arabic on Monday, January 12, 2026, Araghchi said channels of communication with the US were open amid the ongoing unrest but stressed that his country was “prepared for all options, claiming that Iran now has “large and extensive military preparedness” compared to 2025 12-day war.

His comments follow Trump’s remarks on Sunday, January 11, 2026, amid nationwide protests in Iran sparked by economic woes that have intensified into broader calls for systemic change. The US president had said he was considering “strong options” for Iran over its leadership’s crackdown on protests, including potential military action.

Trump, who recently ordered the abduction of leftist Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in a US Special Forces intervention, said that a meeting was being set up with Tehran to negotiate on its nuclear programme, “but we may have to act because of what is happening before the meeting”.

“If Washington wants to test the military option it has tested before, we are ready for it,” said Araghchi, adding that he hoped the US would choose “the wise option” of dialogue, while warning of “those trying to drag Washington into war in order to serve Israel’s interests”.

In the interview, Araghchi alluded to the growing death toll, repeating earlier assertions that “terrorist elements” had “infiltrated the crowds of protesters and targeted security forces and demonstrators”. Iran has blamed the US and Israel for provoking unrest in the country over the past two weeks.

More than 100 security personnel have been killed in recent days, state media has reported, while opposition activists say the death toll is higher and includes hundreds of protesters. Al Jazeera has been unable to independently verify the figures.

The flow of information from Iran has been hampered by an internet blackout since Thursday. The foreign minister had said on Monday that the service would be resumed in coordination with security services.