Iran has dismissed the threat of fresh US sanctions as an act of desperation, insisting that new measures will fail to force Tehran into submission.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi made the remarks on Sunday after US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent threatened to impose what he described as “the toughest sanctions in history” on Iran.
Bessent is expected to address the issue at a press conference on Monday at 2 p.m. EDT (1800 GMT).
Iran’s economy is already under severe pressure from international sanctions, while its infrastructure has suffered repeated attacks. Thousands of people have also been killed in airstrikes since the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran on February 28.
Despite the damage, Tehran has remained defiant after nearly six months of war. Iran has also brought shipping through the Strait of Hormuz to a virtual standstill by restricting unauthorised oil tankers from using the strategically important waterway.
The disruption has contributed to higher global oil prices, with the strait serving as a crucial route for international oil shipments.
Araqchi, speaking in a video posted on Telegram, described the latest US sanctions threat as part of a series of repeated measures.
“The fact that they (US leaders) have moved on from military operations … to bring up the same old plans shows that they are desperate,” he said.
He called on Washington to engage Iran respectfully and seek “a solution based on justice and honour”.
“We have never been afraid. All of their actions – whether blockades or other military moves they have made – have failed, and this new issue of theirs will fail as well,” Araqchi said.
US President Donald Trump has warned that countries providing “any type of lifeline to Iran” could face economic consequences.
Bessent has also urged China to cooperate with Washington. China buys more than 80% of Iran’s shipped oil, according to 2025 data from analytics firm Kpler, while Beijing has called for diplomacy.
Pakistan Army Chief to Visit Tehran
Iran said Pakistan’s army chief, Asim Munir, will visit Tehran on Monday as part of efforts to restore peace and security in the region.
Pakistan has been mediating in the conflict, and a Pakistani government source said Munir’s discussions would include recent developments and Washington’s threat of additional sanctions.
Trump said on Friday that Washington was monitoring developments.
“They would love to make a deal, but they’re not ready to make the right deal, in my opinion,” Trump said of Iran.
US attacks have severely weakened Iran’s economy and damaged its navy and air force. However, Tehran retains missile and drone capabilities that could disrupt oil tanker traffic and threaten regional rivals.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said on Saturday that Tehran had received “numerous messages” from neighbouring countries about establishing new regional security arrangements and expanding economic cooperation.
He did not identify the countries involved.
Qalibaf accused the US of putting its regional allies’ security at risk for Israel and called for an independent, “homegrown” regional order to deliver peace and security.
Trump has yet to achieve some of the objectives he set at the beginning of the war, including dismantling Iran’s nuclear programme. The programme’s current status remains uncertain because UN inspectors have been unable to access Iran since 2025.
Trump has also sought to create conditions for Iranians to overthrow the country’s clerical rulers.
While Tehran continues to reject pressure from Washington, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has also backed a diplomatic solution.
“It would be better to end the war today, when we are powerful and have dignity, and the whole world acknowledges our victory and emphasizes that America, contrary to all regulations, attacked our schools, hospitals, and infrastructure and is hated in the world,” Pezeshkian said, according to the ISNA news agency on Friday.
