Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Monday that Iran was prepared for conflict with the US following threats of intervention, but that it was also open to negotiations.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran is not seeking war but is fully prepared for war,” 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.”
US President Donald Trump on Sunday said that a “meeting is being set up, but we may have to act because of what’s happening before the meeting.”
“Iran called, they want to negotiate,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei confirmed on Monday that lines of communication with Washington remained open.
Araghchi also blamed foreign elements for the current protests, saying they purposefully “turned violent and bloody to give an excuse” to the US to intervene.
The US-based rights group HRANA reported on Sunday evening that the de@th toll has surpassed 500, and that more than 10,000 people had been arrested. They noted difficulty sourcing reliable information, with Iran maintaining its internet blackout nationwide.
