Live Update 
From the Liveblog of
Monday, January 12, 2026
From the Liveblog of
Monday, January 12, 2026
Iran ‘not seeking war but fully prepared for war,’ is ready for ‘fair’ negotiations
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Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi (C) arrives at the government palace to meet Lebanon's Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, in Beirut on January 9, 2026. (JOSEPH EID / AFP)
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.
Iran has said it will strike Israel and US military interests in the Middle East if Trump were to carry out military action. Israel is said to be on high alert.
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