Tehran – A senior Iranian official has downplayed the severity of recent threats from the United States, even as a U.S. diplomat affirmed the seriousness of Washington’s stance. The remarks come amid ongoing tensions in the region and internal unrest within Iran.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused the United States and Israel of fueling the ongoing protests within Iran, but assessed the likelihood of direct military intervention as “slim.” He stated, “The previous experience of American military action against Iran was a failure, and it will fail again if they try to repeat it.”
Araghchi made the statements during a press conference on Friday, during a visit to Lebanon. The purpose of the visit, he said, was to discuss “challenges and threats from Israel to the security of the region,” as well as to expand bilateral relations. He reiterated that Tehran remains open to negotiations with the United States, but only “if they are based on mutual respect and shared interests.” However, he also asserted that Iran is “ready for war if that is Washington’s goal.”
Araghchi’s comments follow recent acknowledgements from within Iran’s leadership regarding public dissatisfaction. While some officials have urged against blaming external actors like the United States for the country’s economic woes, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has vowed to “not submit to the enemy.”
Meanwhile, U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, stated that true regime change in Iran must originate from the Iranian people themselves. He added that Tehran should “take President Trump’s threats seriously.” In an interview, Huckabee indicated that while the United States may not directly intervene in Iran, it “strongly supports Iranian citizens protesting against the regime.”
President Trump previously threatened U.S. intervention to aid protesters if Iranian security forces were to fire upon them. He claimed that Iranian officials are “in a very bad situation” and have a tendency to kill protestors, adding, “I told them that if they start killing people, we are going to hit them very, very hard.”
He also alluded to fatalities during the protests and emphasized that those in charge would be held accountable.
