Iran's Islamic regime has declared that it is ready to negotiate with the United States, but also "prepared for war."The comments come on the heels of President Donald Trump's announcement that leaders in Tehran asked him for a meeting this week."Iran is not seeking war but is fully prepared for war," Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a statement. "We are also ready for negotiations by these negotiations should be fair, with equal rights and based on mutual respect."Araghchi claimed that Iran is "more prepared" than it was last June when Israel carried out a number of strikes on targets in the country, and warned the west against "miscalculation.""If Washington wants to test the military option it has tested before, we are ready for it”, Araghchi added in an interview with Al Jazeera. "We have a large and extensive military preparedness compared to what we had during the last war. We are prepared for all options and hope Washington chooses the wise option."When Trump delivered the aforementioned remarks Sunday night, he noted that the US "may have to act before a meeting" given the regime's continued murdering of civilians.."These are violent — if you call them leaders, I don't know if they're leaders or just they lead through violence — but we're ... looking at some very strong options," Trump said. "We're gonna make a determination very soon.".Meanwhile in Iran, regime-led protests in support of the ayatollah took place on Monday..Among those in attendance at a rally in the capital, Tehran, was President Masoud Pezeshkian. While there are undoubtedly true believers in the crowd, a number of Iranians have warned that the regime often offers incentives such as food and money to take part.The regime also has a history of repurposing footage of protests in the past and claiming they are current. A number of clips circulating on X have been called out as such..Anti-regime protests have taken place in Iran for decades now, but the latest round kicked off in late December in response to the country's failing economy, which has left citizens struggling even more than usual.Things quickly escalated, and before long, protestors were demanding the end of the Islamic regime. According to the Human Rights Activists News Agency, the ayatollah's forces have since killed at least 572 protestors and arrested upwards of 10,000, though the actual figures could be much higher..WATCH: Thousands gather in Vancouver to call for downfall of Iran's Islamic regime.Protestors have received support from people all over the globe, who have stepped up to be their voice amid a regime-enforced internet blackout that has made it next to impossible for civilians to share their reality with the world. A few have managed to maintain communication via Starlink.
