Iran ‘not seeking war but fully prepared for war,’ its foreign minister says

Monday, January 12, 2026 - Iran is fully prepared for conflict but also ready for negotiations, its foreign minister says, as US President Donald Trump said the Iranian leadership was seeking talks after he threatened to intervene militarily over a crackdown on protests.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran is not seeking war but is fully prepared for war,” Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi tells a conference of foreign ambassadors in Tehran broadcast by state TV.

“We are also ready for negotiations but these negotiations should be fair, with equal rights and based on mutual respect,” he says.