1. Home
2. Middle East
3. Iran Warns of Strong Response as U.S. Pressure Mounts

Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi announced that Iran would respond strongly to any U.S. attack on the country on Wednesday in a post on X as the U.S. “armada” arrives in the Gulf.

“Our brave armed forces are prepared—with their fingers on the trigger—to immediately and powerfully respond to any aggression against our beloved land, air, and sea,” the post reads.

Furthermore, the Iranian mission to the U.N. stated on X that “Iran stands ready for dialogue based on mutual respect and interests—but if pushed, it will defend itself and respond like never before.” The mission’s statement invoked long and costly U.S. interventions in Afghanistan and Iraq to communicate that the Iranian regime will resist U.S. attacks on the country, while maintaining a position preferring dialogue between the two countries.

On the same day, Trump reiterated that the U.S. is willing to attack Iran should the two parties not reach a deal on the status of Iran’s nuclear program.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote that “[the U.S.] is ready, willing, and able to rapidly fulfill its mission, with speed and violence, if necessary. 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.”

Since the Iranian regime’s brutal crackdown on demonstrations, which may have resulted in the deaths of over 30,000 people according to Time Magazine, the Trump administration has gone back and forth on escalatory rhetoric towards Iran. 

On January 13, Trump posted on Truth Social that “help is on its way” in addressing the protesters in Iran, which ultimately did not escalate into direct military intervention. Trump also threatened overwhelming force on Iran as U.S. intelligence uncovered Iranian plots to assassinate him and senior U.S. officials. 

However, last Thursday in Davos, Switzerland, Trump stated that he would be open to engaging in dialogue with Iran while reiterating his opposition to Iran’s nuclear program.

In anticipation of the possibility of U.S. strikes on Iran, actors in the region have been posturing themselves in the event that conflict occurs. Saudi Arabia and the UAE have ruled out the use of their territory in a confrontation, Israel vows retaliation if it is attacked, and Hezbollah and the Houthis announced their support for Iran.