Araghchi comments on new US sanctions
Iran's Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi said on Friday on social media that the "crushing economic operation" threatened by the US against Iran is doomed to fail, just like previous sanctions. The sanctions duel between Washington and Tehran has lasted for decades, and each new round sounds like a final overture.
Yet history stubbornly repeats itself: maximum pressure, crippling restrictions, demands for surrender — all have crashed against the resilience of Iran's economy and the political will of its leadership. Today, as the US again promises an "economic D-Day", Tehran responds not with fear but with irony. In this confrontation, words become weapons, and the memory of past failures becomes an argument.
"14 years ago: 'The most devastating sanctions in history'. Failure. 8 years ago: 'Maximum pressure'. Failure. 5 months ago: 'Unconditional surrender'. Failure. Today: 'The most crushing economic operation in history'. Doomed to fail," Araghchi wrote on platform X.
The statements came after US President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced the "most crushing economic operation in history" against any country providing financial support to Iran. "This will be economic warfare and isolation on an unprecedented scale," Trump wrote on Truth Social, calling the move an "economic D-Day". On 18 June, the United States and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on ending the war in the region on all fronts, including Lebanon.
Under the MoU, they were to hold talks within 60 days, which ended on Monday, to reach a final agreement, but the fate of the negotiations remains unclear after the escalation of the conflict between the two countries last month.
US-Iran relations deteriorated after Washington withdrew from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in 2018 and reimposed sanctions. Despite occasional diplomatic breakthroughs, including the signing of the MoU in June 2026, the two sides have failed to find a sustainable compromise formula.
Trump has repeatedly called for the complete dismantling of Iran's nuclear infrastructure, while Tehran demands the lifting of all restrictions and recognition of its right to peaceful nuclear energy. The Iranian economy, though badly hit by sanctions, has adapted through domestic production, trade with neighbours and sanctions-evasion mechanisms, allowing the leadership to maintain confidence in its resilience.
As CCTV+ reports, Tehran's rhetoric indicates that Iran does not intend to yield to the new round of pressure. The US, for its part, hopes that economic isolation will force Iran to make concessions. However, as experience shows, such expectations are not always borne out. In the coming weeks, the world will watch whether the "economic D-Day" turns out to be a real blow or just another stage in a prolonged standoff where victory belongs to the one who can endure.
