Iran has issued a stark warning, stating it will retaliate “with everything we have” should the United States launch any new military offensives. The Iranian government accuses Washington and its allies of using recent turmoil as a pretext to incite further conflict in the region.

In a recent editorial published in the Wall Street Journal, Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, detailed the origins of the protests that erupted in Iran. According to him, these demonstrations initially started as peaceful assemblies but were later taken over by “foreign and domestic terrorist actors,” leading to a severe crackdown and an almost complete shutdown of internet and communications across the nation.

Araghchi directly criticized the rhetoric coming from the U.S., particularly from President Donald Trump, for escalating the violence. He argued that such warnings acted as a catalyst, inciting mass unrest and bloodshed within Iran.

Even as he emphasized Iran’s preference for diplomatic solutions, Araghchi issued a cautionary note. He warned that any future attacks would be met with a much stronger response from Iran, potentially sparking a prolonged and widespread regional conflict.

In a related image, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is seen awaiting the arrival of his Qatari counterpart prior to their meeting in Tehran on August 26, 2024. (Atta Kenare/AFP via Getty Images)

“As Iranians grieve their loved ones and rebuild what has been destroyed, another threat looms: the final failure of diplomacy. Unlike the restraint Iran showed in June 2025, our powerful armed forces have no qualms about firing back with everything we have if we come under renewed attack,” he said.

“Iran’s message to President Trump is clear: The U.S. has tried every conceivable hostile act against Iran, from sanctions and cyber assaults to outright military attack—and, most recently, it clearly fanned a major terrorist operation—all of which failed. It is time to think differently. Try respect, which will allow us to advance farther than one may believe.”

Trump is weighing military action against Tehran, with U.S. assets moving into the region amid international scrutiny over a crackdown that has killed thousands of anti-government protesters.

An Iranian man looks at a bus burned during recent anti-government unrest, displayed in a square in downtown Tehran, Iran, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026. (Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), which tracks human rights violations in Iran, said on Tuesday that nationwide protests continued into the 24th day.

The group’s aggregated figures showed 629 recorded protests, the arrest of at least 26,314 people and the confirmed deaths of 4,519 individuals.

HRANA said 4,251 of those killed were protesters, including 33 children under the age of 18.

The United Nations Human Rights Council announced it will hold a special session to address the deteriorating human rights situation in Iran on Friday.

Iranian clerics stand inside an Islamic seminary that was burned during protests in Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026. (Majid Asgaripour/West Asia News Agency via REUTERS)

Iranian journalist Elaheh Mohammadi said on X that for the past day or two, VPN access has worked only sporadically for 30 minutes to an hour at a time, allowing brief internet connections to let people know they are still alive. 

“The city smells of death. In all my life, I had never seen snow fall in Tehran and not a single person even smile,” she wrote. “Hard days have passed and everyone is stunned; a whole country is in mourning, a whole country is holding back tears, a whole country has a lump in its throat.”