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'Iran does not seek war but is fully prepared for it' - FM Araghchi amid Trump's threats

'Iran does not seek war but is fully prepared for it' - FM Araghchi amid Trump's threats

"Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi responded to US President Donald Trump's threats during a meeting in Tehran with heads of diplomatic missions accredited to Iran on Monday. "The Islamic Republic of Iran does not seek war, but it is fully prepared for it. Pre-emptive operations are not on our agenda. We are more prepared than we were before the previous war," he said. "We are ready to negotiate — but to negotiate with honesty and dignity, from an equal position, with mutual respect and on the basis of shared interests. Serious and genuine negotiations, not the imposition of dictates," he continued. Araghchi's remarks came hours after Trump threatened Iran with 'very strong' options amid deadly protests across the nation. The US leader also claimed that Iranian authorities had contacted him to seek negotiations, adding that preparations were underway to arrange a meeting between the two sides. Since late December, Iran has been grappling with protest groundswell, which started in Tehran and rapidly spread to other cities over economic conditions and a currency drop compared to the US dollar. Protests in several Iranian cities have led to rioters damaging property. State-run media outlets reported that more than 100 police officers were killed. Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian announced economic plans to deal with the 'people's demands' on Sunday, but also accused the US of trying to 'sow chaos and disorder'. On Friday, Donald Trump told Iran's authorities they "better not start shooting, because we'll start shooting too", having previously warned that he could intervene following any potential crackdown."