Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused Israel of inciting protests and escalating violence between protesters and police to “drag” the U.S. into taking military action, during an appearance with FOX News Channel’s “Special Report” host Bret Baier on Wednesday. “For ten days, it was peaceful, legal demonstrations and protests for economic shortcomings. But after those ten days, for three days we had a completely different story: a terrorist operation,” he said. “Terrorist elements from outside entered the protests and started to shoot police forces, police officers, and security forces. There were terror cells that came in. They used terrorist-style operations.” “So as a result, for three days we were in fact fighting terrorists, not protesters,” he said. “The reason I have to explain this is important. Why did they start to shoot at people? For one reason: they wanted to increase the number of deaths. Why? Because President Trump had said if there are killings, he would intervene. They wanted to drag him into this conflict. That was exactly the plot. They wanted to drag the President of the United States into this conflict, so they started to increase the number of deaths by killing people or killing police officers, by starting fighting inside different cities.” “We were given a very good statement by people who are aware of what’s going on,” President Trump said earlier on Wednesday. “I hope that’s true, who knows? Crazy world.” “They’ve said the killing has stopped and the executions won’t take place,” Trump said. “They said people were shooting at them with guns, and they were shooting back. It’s one of those things. It’s one of those things.” “You have to find the elements outside Iran responsible for the killings. There are many evidences to that we can show you. It is all a kind of Israeli plot, which has now failed, and I hope President Trump will not build on that failed attempt by Israelis,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said. Full transcript:

BRET BAIER, FOX NEWS CHANNEL: Mr. Foreign Minister, I would like to start with the situation on the ground. There are reports that anywhere from 2,500 to more than 12,000 protesters in various cities have been killed by the regime. How many people have been killed? FOREIGN MINISTER ABBAS ARAGHCHI: Thank you for having me. The demonstrations started on the 28th of December for economic shortcomings, and for ten days it was peaceful. The government engaged with the protesters and with their leaders, trying to solve their problems. Yes, for ten days it was peaceful, legal demonstrations and protests for economic shortcomings. But after those ten days, for three days we had a completely different story: a terrorist operation. Terrorist elements led from outside entered the protests and started to shoot police forces, police officers, and security forces. There were terror cells that came in. They used terrorist-style operations. They got police officers, burning them alive, beheading them, and started shooting at police officers and also at people. So as a result, for three days we were in fact fighting terrorists, not with the protesters. It was completely a different story. The reason I have to explain this is important. Why did they start to shoot at people? For one reason: they wanted to increase the number of deaths. Why? Because President Trump had said if there are killings, he would intervene. They wanted to drag him into this conflict. That was exactly the plot. They wanted to drag the President of the United States into this conflict, so they started to increase the number of deaths by killing people or killing police officers, by starting fighting inside different cities. BRET BAIER: Mr. Foreign Minister, you are saying these deaths are at the hands of foreign elements inside your country, not by the Iranian regime. That’s not what we are being told when we get people to talk to us on the ground. We hear from witnesses who spoke of seeing snipers positioned on rooftops and in downtown Tehran, firing into crowds, peaceful protests turning into scenes of carnage and panic, as bullets pierced through people’s heads and torsos, sending bodies toppling to the ground. Emergency rooms treated 19 gunshot wounds in a single hour. The regime is on a killing spree, said one protester. We have seen video of body bags stacking up. You are saying all of this is because you are not in control of your country and foreign elements are killing people inside Iran? FOREIGN MINISTER ABBAS ARAGHCHI: No. I’m telling you it was fighting between our security forces and terrorist elements who had a plan to create a big number of killings in order to provoke President Trump to enter into this conflict and start a new war against Iran. The footage that has been shown is wrong. I have to tell you the misinformation campaign is going on at the same time. BRET BAIER: You are suggesting it is Israel and Mossad acting like Iranian forces, shooting the Iranian people to create casualties to spur action by President Trump. A lot of people don’t believe that, Mr. Foreign Minister. FOREIGN MINISTER ABBAS ARAGHCHI: Mossad has already confessed that. … You have to find the elements outside Iran responsible for the killings. There are many evidences to that we can show you. It is all a kind of Israeli plot, which has now failed, and I hope President Trump will not build on that failed attempt by Israelis.
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