US President Donald Trump speaks to the press aboard Air Force One on January 11, 2026. Trump said Sunday his administration was working well with Venezuela's interim leader Delcy Rodriguez and that he would be open to meeting with her. Photo: VCG

Chinese Foreign Ministry on Monday intensively responded to media inquiries over the situation in Iran, which continued to escalate over the weekend as US President Donald Trump was reportedly weighing a series of potential military options in the Asian country and would be briefed Tuesday on options to respond to the unrest in Iran, whereas Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) vowed a crushing response from the resistant Iranian nation in a Sunday statement.

When asked to comment on a media question noting that the protests in Iran have resulted in deaths and that US President Donald Trump said if Iran uses lethal force against protesters he might strike Iran, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning stated that China always opposes interference in other countries' internal affairs, advocates that all countries' sovereignty and security should be fully protected by international law, and opposes the use or threat of force in international relations. We call on parties to act in ways conducive to peace and stability in the Middle East.  

China hopes the Iranian government and people will overcome the current difficulties and uphold stability in the country, Mao stated at a regular press conference on Monday. 

Trump claimed Sunday that Iran is "starting to" cross US red lines, citing reports of civilian deaths and warning that any attack on American interests would be met with overwhelming force as his administration weighs what he called "very strong options," Fox News reported. 

Trump had been briefed on military options on Iran as of Sunday local time, per CBS News, while Wall Street Journal, citing US officials, reported another briefing is scheduled on Tuesday on specific options to the protests in Iran. Trump isn't expected to make a final decision at the meeting as the deliberations are at an early stage. 

We stand against interference in other countries' internal affairs, advocate that all countries' sovereignty and security should be fully protected, and oppose using or threatening to use force in international relations, Mao said. 

These remarks were made in response to another media inquiry about comments from Trump stating that Washington is closely monitoring the situation in Iran and that the US is "looking at some very strong options," as well as reports suggesting the US has considered a range of measures, including sanctions, deploying cyber weapons, and potential military strikes.

The Trump administration's options could include boosting anti-government sources online, deploying secretive cyber weapons against Iranian military and civilian sites, placing more sanctions on the country and military strikes, as well as the possibility of sending terminals of Starlink, a satellite-based internet service owned by Elon Musk, into Iran, according to Xinhua.

Warning of retaliation

Iranians from all walks of life are taking part in nationwide rallies to denounce what they call recent foreign-backed riots, demonstrating their unwavering support for the Islamic Republic, PressTV reported. The rallies in most provinces, including Tehran, began at 2:00 pm local time on Monday. However, in some other provinces, the rallies started earlier, at 9 am and 11 am.

Tens of thousands of pro-government demonstrators have taken to the streets after calls by officials to show their support, Al Jazeera updated on Monday.

A special correspondent with the Global Times in Iran has found that Iran remains in a nationwide internet blackout at present, though domestic phone services and the internal network have partially recovered. 

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Monday internet service would soon be restored and the government was coordinating with the security establishment to make progress on that. He said connections would be restored at embassies and government ministries too, Al Jazeera reported.

The Iranian administration earlier announced three days of mourning for victims, including members of the country's security and volunteer forces, who were martyred by what Iranian authorities characterized as "US- and Israeli-backed rioters trying to hijack economic protests across the country," Iran's state-owned broadcaster Press TV reported on Monday. 

Xinhua reported that 111 security personnel had been killed in the riots across the country.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Monday strongly condemned the US- and Israeli-backed deadly violence that has been waged by terrorist elements against Iranian civilians and security forces, asserting that no country tolerates such acts. The top diplomat made the remarks in Tehran on Monday during a meeting with foreign diplomats based in the Iranian capital.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said on Monday that the Iranian Armed Forces, backed by the nation, are fully prepared to repel any act of aggression against the country.

Iran's IRGC has condemned the recent acts of terrorism committed during violent riots in Iran and denounced Trump's blatant intervention in the Islamic Republic's internal affairs, Press TV reported on Monday. The IRGC also stressed Trump must await a crushing response from the resistant Iranian nation. 

Protests have erupted in several Iranian cities since late December over the sharp fall in the rial and long-standing economic hardships. The reported death toll amid the protests is mounting, Xinhua said. 

Trump on US local time Sunday claimed that Iran called him on Saturday to negotiate, CNN reported. Trump's comment came days after the president told reporters that if Tehran engaged in deadly violence against protestors, the US would "get involved."

When asked how the US would react if Iran were to strike American military bases, Trump said, "We will hit them at levels that they've never been hit before."

US' constantly escalating threats, along with unilaterally released messages about negotiations, are all aimed at shaping an image of the Iranian authorities yielding or softening, these are part of the cognitive operations conducted by the US and its allies against Iran, with the intention of interfering in Iran's domestic political processes in this manner, Liu Zhongmin, a professor at the Middle East Studies Institute of Shanghai International Studies University told the Global Times on Monday.

After the large-scale strike on Venezuela on January 3, the US has threatened to use force against a number of countries and regions including Cuba, Greenland and Iran. At the moment, operations against Iran are more likely out of US options, Li Haidong, a professor at the China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times. 

Chinese observers warned that if the US intervenes militarily in Iran, it would further consolidate the US image of arbitrarily attacking others and flouting international law and norms, dealing yet another heavy blow to US' eroded international credibility as a major power. 

In response to another question on whether there have been any Chinese casualties in the protests in Iran and whether China is calling on its citizens to leave the country, Mao responded that "We are following closely the situation in Iran. So far we have not received report about Chinese casualties in the country. We will do everything we can to protect the safety of Chinese nationals in Iran."

Taking this opportunity, Mao also reminded Chinese citizens in Iran to follow the developments of the local security situation, and take necessary measures to keep themselves safe.