Iran’s top diplomat vows to ‘fire back with everything we have’ if US attacks
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi attends a seminar in Beirut, Lebanon, on Jan. 9, 2026. AP
Iran’s foreign minister issued his strongest warning yet to the United States on Wednesday, saying the country would respond with full force if it is attacked again.
In an opinion piece published in The Wall Street Journal, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi cautioned Washington against intervening in Iran’s internal affairs, even as international outrage grows over Tehran’s violent crackdown on anti-government protests.
Araghchi argued that any future conflict with the United States would be far more severe than the brief 12-day clash last year, when Iran launched a limited strike on a U.S. air base in Qatar that caused no casualties. He said Iran would not show the same restraint again.
“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,” Araghchi wrote.
He added that while he opposes war, he felt compelled to warn of the consequences. “This isn’t a threat, but a reality,” Araghchi said, claiming a broader conflict would be prolonged, violent, and destabilizing for the entire region, with global repercussions.
His remarks come amid escalating tensions between Washington and Tehran following deadly protests across Iran. While casualty figures remain unconfirmed, the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency estimates that at least 4,519 people have been killed.
The deaths have sparked international condemnation, with President Trump warning that the United States could take direct military action if the violence continues. Trump, who has openly called for leadership change in Iran, also said this week that he has left instructions for the U.S. to retaliate forcefully if Iran ever follows through on alleged threats to assassinate him.
President Trump did not mention Iran directly during his remarks Wednesday at the World Economic Forum in Davos. The forum rescinded an invitation to Araghchi in response to Iran’s handling of the protests.
Meanwhile, the U.S. military has begun repositioning forces in the Middle East as tensions rise. The USS Abraham Lincoln, which had been operating in the South China Sea, was observed heading toward the region, according to ship-tracking data.
A U.S. Navy official confirmed to the Associated Press that the aircraft carrier and three accompanying destroyers are moving westward.
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