TEHRAN, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said on Monday that the situation in Iran is "under total control" following violence linked to protests over the weekend, while denouncing the United States for intervening.
In a meeting with foreign diplomats, Araghchi said the country's nationwide protests were "turned violent and bloody" to give an "excuse" for U.S. President Donald Trump to intervene, Al Jazeera reported.
Trump's warning of military action against Tehran if protests turn bloody encouraged "terrorists" to target protesters and security forces to invite foreign intervention, the minister said, noting, "We are ready for war but also for dialogue."
According to Araghchi, the demonstrations were "stoked and fuelled" by foreign elements, and security forces would "hunt down" those responsible.
He said that Iran has obtained evidence of U.S. and Israeli involvement in domestic "terrorist activities," including footage showing weapons being distributed to protesters, and that authorities will soon release confessions of detainees.
Regarding a nationwide internet blackout that has lasted for days, Araghchi said that the government is coordinating with security authorities to ensure the Internet is restored soon.
A protest broke out late last month over a sharp depreciation of the rial and sweeping subsidy reforms. It soon spiraled into nationwide unrest, with clashes reported between police and protesters.
The two weeks of unrest, which Iran has blamed on the United States and Israel, have led to at least 111 members of Iran's security forces being killed, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency. ■
