Iran Replies US: ‘We are ready for war’ as Trump threatens heavy strike

Iran has warned that it is “ready for war” with the United States after President Donald Trump threatened to hit the country “like they have never been hit before” amid escalating anti-government protests.

The warning followed comments by Trump aboard Air Force One on Sunday night, where he said the US military was considering “very strong options” in response to Iran’s violent crackdown on protesters.

“If they retaliate, we will hit them at levels that they’ve never been hit before,” Trump said, responding to Tehran’s threats.

Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araqchi, fired back, saying the country was prepared for both war and dialogue, but accused the US president of inflaming the crisis.

“We are ready for war, but also for dialogue,” Araqchi said, alleging that Trump’s remarks encouraged violent groups to destabilise Iran and invite foreign intervention.

The standoff comes as protests entered a third week across several Iranian cities. A US-based rights group, Human Rights Activist News Agency (HRANA), claimed nearly 500 protesters and 48 security personnel had been killed during the unrest, with thousands more arrested.

Witnesses described the situation in Tehran as chaotic, with streets sealed off by security forces and widespread fear among residents.

Trump has repeatedly warned Iran against using lethal force on demonstrators, saying the country was “in big trouble” if the killings continued.

“I’ve made it very clear that if they start killing people like they have in the past, we will get involved,” the US president told reporters last week.

Tehran’s Attorney-General, Mohammad Movahedi Azad, responded by declaring that anyone participating in the protests would be treated as an “enemy of God,” a charge that carries the death penalty under Iranian law.

Tensions escalated further when Iran’s hardline parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, warned that Israel and American military bases and ships in the region would become “legitimate targets” if Iran was attacked.