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By Al Jazeera Staff and News Agencies<\/p>\n
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has alleged that\u00a0nationwide protests<\/a>\u00a0have \u201cturned violent and bloody to give an excuse\u201d for United States President Donald Trump to intervene militarily in the country.<\/p>\n Araghchi told foreign diplomats in Tehran on Monday that the violence spiked over the weekend but the \u201csituation is now under total control\u201d.<\/p>\n He said Trump\u2019s warning of military action against Tehran should \u200cprotests turn \u200cviolent motivated \u201cterrorists\u201d \u2060to target protesters and security forces \u200cto invite foreign intervention. \u201cWe are ready for war but also for dialogue,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n Araghchi also said Iran has footage of weapons being distributed to protesters, adding authorities will soon release confessions of detainees.<\/p>\n The demonstrations were \u201cstoked and fuelled\u201d by foreign elements, he said, noting security forces would \u201chunt down\u201d those responsible.<\/p>\n Iran\u2019s spiralling protests have entered a third week amid a nationwide internet blackout and repeated military intervention threats from Trump.<\/p>\n Iran\u2019s government has declared three days of national mourning for the \u201cmartyrs\u201d killed during the\u00a0protests<\/a>, including members of the security forces.<\/p>\n The semiofficial Tasnim news agency\u00a0reported<\/a>\u00a0on Sunday that 109 security personnel had been killed in the protests.<\/p>\n Authorities have not confirmed the number of demonstrators who have lost their lives, but opposition activists based outside the country said the death toll is higher and includes dozens of protesters.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n