ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Sunday that United States rhetoric of sanctions will “fail,” as Washington ramps up economic pressure on Tehran.
“The economic campaign that Trump claims is a repetitive scenario and the same old bullying inherent in US policies,” Araghchi said on the sidelines of a ceremony at the Shrine of Imam Khomeini in Tehran, dismissing them as “a tired movie that we have seen many times before."
Araghchi said the shift in US rhetoric toward threats of sanctions signals Washington’s desperation. “The fact that they have moved away from [talking about] military operations and saying 'we will strike' or 'we will do such-and-such,' and have returned to these old plans, shows that they are desperate,” he said.
“They must understand that there is no path forward except speaking with respect to the Iranian people and seeking a solution based on justice and dignity,” state-run IRNA News Agency quoted Araghchi as saying.
Araghchi's remarks come as Washington intensifies its economic pressure on Tehran. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Thursday that Washington would impose “the toughest sanctions in history” on Iran, with further measures expected Monday. US President Donald Trump announced what he termed “Economic Warfare” against Iran earlier this week and warned of economic consequences for countries helping Tehran.
The Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for global energy supplies, has remained at the center of tensions since the conflict began, disrupting oil shipments and adding to economic pressure across the region.
When asked whether Iran was afraid of an economic blockade and US threats, Araghchi rejected the notion.
“We have never been afraid. All of their actions - whether the blockade or their previous military moves - have failed,” he said, projecting that “This new rhetoric of theirs will also fail.”
His comments came as Pakistan’s powerful army chief, Asim Munir, is due to travel to Tehran on Monday as Islamabad seeks to mediate an end to the war between Iran and the United States.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Sunday that Munir would lead a delegation to Tehran “as part of efforts to strengthen Iran-Pakistan bilateral cooperation” amid “Pakistan's ongoing efforts to help consolidate peace and security in the region.”
Pakistan has played a key role in efforts to halt the conflict, brokering a memorandum of understanding between Washington and Tehran in June, with the 60-day negotiation window having passed just last week.
