Archive · 22 Aug 2026
Iran Says Trump’s New Economic Operation Is Doomed
Iran and the United States are arguing over a new economic campaign against Iran.
President Donald Trump said the campaign would be extremely tough on countries helping Iran.
He called it economic warfare and promised unprecedented isolation.
Iran’s foreign minister said similar pressure campaigns had failed before.
Another Iranian official said the United States was using the phrase “economic war” to hide its earlier failures.
He also said that military pressure had not achieved its goals.
The two countries had agreed on June 18 to hold talks within 60 days.
Those talks are now uncertain because tensions increased again last month.
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said Washington’s latest economic campaign against Tehran would fail.
US President Donald Trump called the planned action the most crushing economic operation against countries supporting Iran.
Trump described the campaign as “Economic Warfare and Isolation” and an “ECONOMIC D-DAY.”
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said Washington was labeling its pressure an economic war to hide earlier failures.
A June 18 US-Iran memorandum scheduled negotiations within 60 days, but their status is unclear after renewed escalation.
- Who
- Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi, and US President Donald Trump.
- What
- Iran criticized a US-announced economic campaign targeting countries providing support to Iran, while Washington presented it as economic warfare and isolation.
- When
- Trump announced the campaign on Wednesday; the related US-Iran memorandum was signed on June 18, with its 60-day negotiation period ending on Monday.
- Where
- The statements were issued from Tehran and through social media platforms; the memorandum concerned ending the war in the region, including Lebanon.
- Why
- Trump said the operation would target countries providing Iran with a lifeline, while Iranian officials said it was intended to conceal US failures.
Iranian officials
US administration
Expected impact of economic pressure
Iranian officials
Araghchi said the latest US campaign was bound to fail, like previous sanctions and pressure efforts.
US administration
Trump presented the campaign as an unprecedented economic operation designed to isolate Iran and countries supporting it.
Meaning of the economic-war policy
Iranian officials
Gharibabadi said Washington was calling its next defeat an economic war to conceal the failure of its military pressure.
US administration
Trump characterized the move as “Economic Warfare and Isolation,” indicating that Washington views intensified economic pressure as necessary.
State of the conflict and talks
Iranian officials
Iranian officials said US military pressure had failed to deliver results and pointed to the uncertainty surrounding negotiations.
US administration
The US announcement came after the 60-day negotiation period under the June 18 memorandum ended without a reported final agreement.
- Iranian foreign minister
- Seyed Abbas Araghchi said the latest US economic campaign would fail.
- US announcement
- Donald Trump called it the most crushing economic operation ever taken against any country providing a lifeline to Iran.
- US description
- Trump described the measure as “Economic Warfare and Isolation” and an “ECONOMIC D-DAY.”
- Iranian response
- Kazem Gharibabadi said the United States was using the label “economic war” to cover up previous failures.
- Memorandum date
- The United States and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding on June 18.
- Negotiation timeline
- The memorandum scheduled negotiations within 60 days, a period that ended on Monday.
- Current status
- The talks’ fate remains unclear after escalation between the two countries last month.