DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran’s foreign minister issued his most direct threat yet to the United States on Wednesday following a bloody crackdown on protesters in Tehran, warning that the Islamic Republic would “do everything we can to fight back” if we are attacked again.
Abbas Araghchi’s comments came as a U.S. aircraft carrier formation sailed west from Asia toward the Middle East, having canceled his invitation to attend the World Economic Forum in Davos because of the killings. Meanwhile, U.S. fighter jets and other equipment appear to be moving across the Middle East following a massive U.S. military deployment in the Caribbean and the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Araghchi made the threat in an opinion piece published in the Wall Street Journal. In the letter, the foreign minister claimed that “the violent phase of the riots lasted less than 72 hours” and once again tried to blame the violence on armed demonstrators. Despite the internet shutdown, videos leaked from Iran appeared to show security forces repeatedly targeting unarmed protesters with live ammunition, which Araghchi did not mention.
“Unlike the restraint shown by Iran in June 2025, if we are subject to new attacks, our powerful armed forces will not hesitate to fight back with everything we have,” Araghchi wrote, referring to the 12-day war Israel launched against Iran in June. “This is not a threat, but a reality that I feel needs to be communicated clearly because as a diplomat and a veteran, I hate war.”
He added: “A full-scale confrontation will certainly be brutal and far longer than the fantasy timetable that Israel and its proxies are trying to sell to the White House. It will certainly engulf the wider region and have consequences for ordinary people around the world.”
Diplomats from Middle Eastern countries, especially Gulf Arab states, lobbied Trump not to launch an attack. Last week, Iran closed its airspace, possibly in response to the attack.
Ship tracking data shows that the USS Abraham Lincoln, which has been in the South China Sea in recent days, has passed through the Strait of Malacca, a key waterway connecting the South China Sea to the Indian Ocean.
A U.S. Navy official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the aircraft carrier and three accompanying destroyers were heading west.
While the Navy and other defense officials have not said the carrier strike group is heading to the Middle East, its current course and location in the Indian Ocean means it is only days away from entering the region.
The American Human Rights Activists News Agency said the death toll from the protests reached at least 4,519. The agency has been accurate about demonstrations and unrest in Iran for years, relying on a network of activists within the country who confirmed all reported deaths. The Associated Press could not independently assess the death toll.
The death toll exceeds that of any round of protests or riots in Iran in decades, recalling the chaos caused by the 1979 revolution during the birth of the Islamic Republic. Although there have been no protests for several days, there are fears the death toll could rise significantly as information emerges in a country still under a government-mandated internet shutdown since January 8.
Khamenei said on Saturday that the protests had killed “thousands” of people and blamed the United States. This is the first time an Iranian leader has indicated the extent of casualties.
More than 26,300 people have been arrested, according to the human rights activist news agency. The officials’ comments raised concerns that some detainees may be executed in Iran, which has one of the world’s largest numbers of executioners. That and the killing of peaceful protesters are two red lines Trump draws in tense situations.
___
Associated Press writers Konstantin Toropin and Elena Becatoros in Washington contributed to this report.
