Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has claimed that nationwide protests have “turned violent and bloody” to give President Donald Trump an excuse to intervene militarily in Iran.
Araghchi told diplomats in Tehran on Monday that although there was a spike in violence over the weekend, “the situation is now completely under control.”
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He said the protests should lead to “terrorists” with bloody motives targeting protesters and security forces inviting foreign intervention, as President Trump threatened military action against Tehran. “We are ready for war, but we are also ready for dialogue,” he added.
Araghchi also said that Iran has footage of weapons being distributed to protesters, adding that authorities will soon release the confessions of detainees and that authorities are “closely monitoring” ongoing events on the streets.
He said the demonstrations had been “instigated and instigated” by foreign forces and said security forces would “hunt down” those responsible.
Iran’s spiraling protests have entered their third week amid a nationwide internet blackout and President Trump’s repeated threats of military intervention.
The Iranian government has declared three days of national mourning for the “martyrs” killed during the protests, including members of the security forces.
The semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on Sunday that 109 security personnel had been killed in the protests.
Authorities have not confirmed the death toll among protesters, but opposition activists based abroad say the death toll is much higher, including hundreds of demonstrators.
The demonstrations, initially sparked by anger over the rising cost of living, evolved into nationwide protests and a serious challenge to the government in place since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Fars news agency reported that limited protest rallies were held in several areas of the capital on Sunday night.
According to Fars news agency, limited “riots” broke out in Tehran’s Navvab and Saadat Abad districts, Junkan and Hafshejyan districts in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari provinces, and Mashhad’s Taybad district, but security forces intervened and dispersed them.
The agency reported that other cities and regions of the country remained largely calm with no overnight “riots.”
The country’s nationwide internet blackout is reportedly in its fourth day, a move that has been widely criticized by human rights groups.
Connectivity monitoring group Netblocks reported that the internet across Iran remained down, describing the situation as a “nationwide internet blackout.”
It has been 84 hours since the last stable connection was established in this country. However, NetBlocks noted that some Iranians have developed ways to circumvent the restrictions.
Recently, due to the internet shutdown, there have been fewer videos of protests on social media.
Britain-based Amnesty International on Friday denounced the practice as a way to cover up “violations in escalating the deadly crackdown on protesters.”
Addressing the internet blackout, Araghchi said it would be restored soon, adding that the government was coordinating with security agencies to move it forward. He said connectivity with embassies and government ministries would also be restored.
“We are considering some very strong options.”
As protests continue in defiance of the crackdown, President Trump said Sunday that the United States is considering “strong options” in response to the situation in Iran, including possible military intervention.
“We are looking at it very seriously, the military is looking at it, we are looking at some very strong options, and we will make a decision,” he told reporters aboard Air Force One, adding that Iran’s leadership had called for “negotiations” following threats of military action and that “a meeting has been set up.”
Early Sunday morning, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf warned the US not to make “miscalculations”.
“Let me be clear: in the event of an attack on Iran, not only the occupied territories (Israel) but also all US military bases and ships are legitimate targets,” said Qalibaf, a former commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC).
Iran faced a 12-day war with Israel and the United States last year after Israel attacked in June and the United States also bombed the country’s nuclear facilities.
Hundreds of civilians, military commanders and scientists were killed in the war, and the Iranian government retaliated with hundreds of ballistic missiles targeting Israel, killing 28 people.
Meanwhile, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian mentioned economic plans in an interview on Sunday.
Pezeshkian said the US and Israel wanted to “sow chaos and anarchy” in his country by ordering “riots” and called on people to distance themselves from “rioters and terrorists”, state media reported.
The protests represent one of the biggest challenges to the rule of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, 86, after the 12-day war. State television showed footage of burning buildings, including a mosque, and funeral processions of security personnel.
