Iran has issued a stern warning, pledging to retaliate with full force against any fresh military aggression from the U.S., while accusing Washington and its allies of leveraging recent disturbances to push the Middle East toward a broader conflict.

In an opinion piece for The Wall Street Journal, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi described how initial peaceful protests in Iran were overtaken by “foreign and domestic terrorist elements,” leading to a severe crackdown and a sweeping shutdown of internet and communications.

Araghchi attributed the escalation of violence to U.S. rhetoric, specifically pointing to President Donald Trump’s statements, which he claimed incentivized widespread unrest.

Despite affirming Iran’s preference for diplomatic solutions, Araghchi warned that any subsequent attacks would provoke a significantly stronger Iranian response, risking a drawn-out regional confrontation.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is seen awaiting the arrival of his Qatari counterpart for a meeting in Tehran on August 26, 2024. (Photo by Atta Kenare/AFP via Getty Images)

“As we mourn our losses and begin to heal and rebuild, we face another looming danger: the potential collapse of diplomacy. Unlike the restraint we exercised in June 2025, our formidable military forces are prepared to retaliate with full capacity if we are attacked again,” he declared.

“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.”