• Foreign minister says Tehran is 'ready for war and also ready for dialogue'
• 'Internet services in the country will be restored in coordination with security authorities,' he adds

ISTANBUL

Iran’s foreign minister said on Monday that the ongoing anti-government protests in the country cannot be described as demonstrations, instead calling them a “terrorist war.”

Speaking at a news conference, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said: “What is happening now is not protests, it is a terrorist war against the country.”

“Iranian authorities possess audio recordings of voice messages sent to terrorist elements ordering them to open fire on civilians and security forces,” he claimed.

Araghchi said the groups also targeted government buildings, police stations, and shops, and claimed authorities have images showing weapons being distributed among protesters.

He said the protests began on Dec. 28 as “peaceful and legitimate” demonstrations by merchants, but later turned violent.

Araghchi said Iranian security forces dealt with the protests “calmly,” adding that the government immediately launched talks with concerned parties and listened to protesters’ demands.

He claimed the government has evidence that security forces were fired upon in an attempt to increase the number of casualties, saying “most of those killed during the demonstrations were shot from behind,” indicating that security forces were not responsible.

“Terrorist elements” targeted both protesters and security forces, Araghchi said.

Saying the situation in Iran is now “under full control,” he acknowledged that violence escalated at the beginning of the week.

He also said internet services in the country will be restored in coordination with security authorities.

- 'Interference' by Trump

The foreign minister accused US President Donald Trump of interfering in Iran’s internal affairs, saying: “Trump’s statements regarding the protests constitute interference in our internal affairs.”

He said that since Trump threatened intervention, “the protests turned into bloody acts of violence to justify foreign interference.”

Responding to Trump saying the US is weighing taking “very strong measures” on Iran, Araghchi said Tehran is “ready for war and also ready for dialogue.”

Trump said Sunday that Tehran had requested negotiations with Washington over its nuclear program and that preparations are underway for a meeting, but did not rule out taking action beforehand.

Araghchi said Iran has “documents proving US and Israeli involvement” in the protests.

Iran has been rocked by waves of protests since last month, starting Dec. 28 at Tehran’s Grand Bazaar, over the sharp depreciation of the Iranian rial and worsening economic conditions. Anti-government demonstrations later spread to several other cities.

There are no official casualty figures, but the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), a US-based rights group, estimates that the death toll has reached at least 544, including both security forces and protesters, with over 1,000 injured.

HRANA also reported that at least 10,681 people have been detained across protests in 585 locations nationwide, including 186 cities in all 31 provinces.

At least 109 Iranian security members were also killed during unrest sweeping several parts of the country over the past few days, the Qatar-based Al Jazeera channel reported Sunday, citing Iran’s Tasnim News Agency.