IRAN’S FOREIGN MINISTER ISSUED HIS STRONGEST WARNING YET TO THE UNITED STATES ON WEDNESDAY, SAYING THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC WOULD RESPOND WITH FULL MILITARY FORCE IF IT COMES UNDER RENEWED ATTACK. (PHOTO).

 Iran’s top diplomat delivers strongest warning yet to US amid protest crackdown

 Iran’s foreign minister issued his strongest warning yet to the United States on Wednesday, saying the Islamic Republic would respond with full military force if it comes under renewed attack, as international tensions intensify following Tehran’s violent crackdown on nationwide protests. Abbas Araghchi made the remarks as U.S. military activity in and around the Middle East appeared to increase, including the movement of an American aircraft carrier group westward from Asia and the arrival of additional fighter jets and missile systems in the region. Araghchi’s comments came days after his invitation to attend the World Economic Forum in Davos was withdrawn amid outrage over the killings of protesters in Iran.

In a written statement, Araghchi downplayed the scale and duration of the unrest, blaming armed demonstrators for the violence and claiming the most intense phase lasted less than three days. He warned that Iran’s restraint during last year’s brief conflict with Israel should not be mistaken for weakness, saying any future confrontation would be prolonged, destructive, and spread across the region, with global consequences. His remarks appeared to reference Iran’s arsenal of short- and medium-range missiles, which analysts say could target U.S. bases and interests throughout the Persian Gulf. Travel restrictions have already been placed on some U.S. diplomatic personnel in the region as a precaution.

The warning came as Iran was accused of launching a drone and missile strike on a Kurdish separatist base in northern Iraq, killing at least one fighter, marking what would be Tehran’s first external military operation since the protests began. Inside Iran, the reported death toll from the unrest has climbed into the thousands, with tens of thousands more arrested, raising international alarm over possible executions and further repression. Iran’s supreme leader has publicly blamed the United States for the unrest, while fears persist that the true scale of casualties may not be known for weeks due to an ongoing government-imposed internet shutdown.