Iran's foreign minister warned Wednesday its forces would respond immediately and forcefully to any US military operation after President Donald Trump declared time was running out to avoid one, but did not rule out a new deal on Tehran's nuclear programme.
The Islamic republic's top diplomat Abbas Araghchi warned its forces have their "fingers on the trigger" to "powerfully respond" to any US strikes, but also used language strikingly similar to Trump's to describe a possible agreement to defuse the stand-off through a new nuclear deal.
"Iran has always welcomed a mutually beneficial, fair and equitable NUCLEAR DEAL -- on equal footing, and free from coercion, threats, and intimidation -- which ensures Iran's rights to PEACEFUL nuclear technology, and guarantees NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS," Araghchi posted on X.
"Such weapons have no place in our security calculations and we have NEVER sought to acquire them," he added, restating Tehran's long-standing insistence -- dismissed by sceptical Western capitals -- that its nuclear programme is focused only on research and civilian energy development.Â
Earlier, before Trump's latest declaration, Araghchi had said "conducting diplomacy through military threat cannot be effective or useful".Â
But if some saw his shift in tone as an opening, Ali Shamkani, an adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, posted more stark language warning of conflict and strikes on US ally Israel.
"A limited strike is an illusion," he posted on X.Â
"Any military action, from America from any origin and at any level, will be considered the start of war, and its response will be immediate, all-out and unprecedented, targeting the heart of Tel Aviv and all supporters of the aggressor."
- 'Massive armada' -
Hours earlier, Trump had warned that a "massive armada" of US naval vessels was heading to waters off Iran and ready "to rapidly fulfil its mission, with speed and violence, if necessary".
But, mirroring Trump's language, Araghchi added: "Hopefully Iran will quickly 'Come to the Table' and negotiate a fair and equitable deal -- NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS -- one that is good for all parties."
After Trump issued his latest threat, his top diplomat Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the Iranian leadership was at its weakest ever point and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz predicted the Islamic republic's "days are numbered" after this month's deadly crackdown on anti-government protests.
Separately, Germany's ally France joined Berlin in backing a push for the European Union to declare Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) a "terrorist organisation". Â
The IRGC is seen as Iran's ideological army with the mandate to ensure the survival of the 1979 Islamic revolution.Â
It is already designated as a terror group by Canada and the United States, but not yet by the EU or UK.
Anti-government protests erupted in late December and peaked on January 8 and 9. A rights group said more than 6,200 people were killed.
Washington has expressed support for the revolt, but Trump's recent statements have focused more on Iran's nuclear programme than the fate of the demonstrators.
In June last year the US carried out strikes on Iranian nuclear sites during Israel's 12-day war against the Islamic republic.Â
- 'Severe damage' -
Analysts say US options include strikes on military facilities or targeted hits against the leadership under Khamenei, in a full-scale bid to bring down the system that has ruled Iran since the 1979 Islamic revolution that ousted the shah.
Following a call on Tuesday between Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and de facto Saudi leader Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Iran reached out to other US allies in the region.
The Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani spoke with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, who is also foreign minister and expressed support for "efforts aimed at reducing escalation", Qatar's foreign ministry said.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty meanwhile held separate calls with both Araghchi and Witkoff, and stressed the need to "work towards de-escalation", the Egyptian foreign ministry said.
- 'New dimensions of crackdown' -
In an updated toll, the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) said it had confirmed that 6,221 people had been killed, including 5,856 protesters, 100 minors, 214 members of the security forces and 49 bystanders.
But the group added it was still investigating another 17,091 possible fatalities. At least 42,324 people have been arrested, it said.
HRANA warned that security forces were searching hospitals for wounded protesters, saying this highlighted "new dimensions of the continued security crackdown".
Monitor Netblocks on Wednesday said internet connectivity was back to around 95 percent nearly three weeks after the blackout was imposed by authorities, but cautioned users still faced "heavy filtering".
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