Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has warned that Iran will respond with maximum force if attacked by the United States. The warning came in an opinion column published Tuesday in The Wall Street Journal, as reported by Al Jazeera. Araghchi emphasized that Iran’s armed forces would not hesitate to retaliate with all available means if faced with a new assault, referencing last June’s Israeli attack on Iran.

The statement followed remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump, who said he had already ordered Iran’s destruction if the country attempted to kill him. Araghchi clarified that his warning was not a threat but a statement of reality, adding that as a diplomat and veteran soldier, he despises war. He cautioned that a full-scale conflict would be devastating, lasting far longer than what Israel and its allies in the White House might imagine, and would harm the broader region and civilians worldwide.

Last week, Iran reportedly closed its airspace, possibly fearing a U.S. strike, while Gulf Arab diplomats urged Trump to refrain from attacking Iran.