After U.S. President Donald Trump hinted at the possibility of attacking Iran, Iran Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said, "If attacked again, unlike the restraint Iran showed in June last year, we will retaliate with all our capabilities."
Minister Araghchi said in an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on the 20th, local time, "A full-scale confrontation will be intense and will last far longer than the scenario that Israel and its proxies are trying to sell to the White House," adding, "It will clearly sweep a wider region and affect ordinary people around the world."
In June last year, Iran fought a "12-day war" with Israel that included missile strikes. At the time, the United States launched a surprise strike on Iran's nuclear facilities. Iran, to retaliate, fired missiles at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the largest U.S. base in the Middle East.
Regarding Minister Araghchi's latest remarks, the Associated Press interpreted them as suggesting that Iran could use short- and medium-range missiles if the United States attacks Iran.
Minister Araghchi argued that the latest protests in Iran were peaceful demonstrations protesting economic conditions, among other issues, and that there were limited clashes between protesters and police. The implication is that they were not much different from protests that occurred in other democracies.
He maintained that "the protests began peacefully and the government recognized them as lawful demonstrations," and that "they suddenly turned violent as domestic and foreign terrorist elements intervened."
He added, "What sets these protests apart from the past is that President Trump publicly warned he would hold Iran responsible if protesters were killed."
He further said, "Whether intentional or not, this message encouraged conspirators to pursue a cruel and horrific strategy," adding, "The objective is clear: to drag the United States into another war for Israel."
Minister Araghchi, addressing the United States, said, "Iran is ready for serious negotiations and has demonstrated this," adding, "However, considering what we went through in June last year, we cannot be confident the United States thinks the same as we do."
He noted, "The United States has attempted every conceivable hostile act against Iran, from sanctions, cyberattacks, and overt military attacks to, more recently, encouraging terrorist operations."