TEHRAN | Iran has rejected Washington’s threat of sweeping new sanctions, calling the move a sign of desperation and saying additional economic pressure will not force Tehran to surrender, as Pakistan’s army chief prepares to travel to Tehran in a renewed diplomatic effort to ease the conflict between Iran and the United States.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Sunday that Washington was repeating measures that had failed in the past and should instead engage Iran respectfully in seeking a diplomatic settlement. His remarks came ahead of an expected announcement by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Monday detailing what he has described as the toughest sanctions ever imposed on Iran.
The threatened measures come as Iran faces severe economic pressure after months of conflict, sanctions and disruption to its oil trade. The situation has also raised concerns about the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important energy routes, where restrictions on tanker traffic have contributed to higher oil prices and increased uncertainty in global energy markets.
Araghchi argued that previous military and economic pressure had failed to achieve Washington’s objectives. He called for negotiations based on what he described as justice and mutual respect, maintaining Tehran’s position that diplomacy remains possible if the United States changes its approach.
U.S. President Donald Trump has warned countries against providing Iran with economic support, while Bessent has specifically urged China to cooperate with Washington. China is a major buyer of Iranian oil and has continued to call for a diplomatic solution rather than greater economic confrontation.
The dispute over sanctions is unfolding alongside a renewed diplomatic initiative by Pakistan. Field Marshal Asim Munir, Pakistan’s chief of army staff and chief of defence forces, is scheduled to travel to Tehran on Monday, August 24, for talks with senior Iranian officials.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Munir’s visit is part of Pakistan’s continuing efforts to strengthen peace and security in the region, as well as efforts to deepen bilateral cooperation between Pakistan and Iran. Pakistani officials have also been working to maintain communication with both Tehran and Washington as negotiations remain stalled.
Munir’s visit comes at a particularly sensitive moment. Pakistan has taken on a mediation role between Iran and the United States and previously helped facilitate an interim understanding between the two countries. The visit is expected to address regional security and the latest developments surrounding the conflict and the threatened U.S. sanctions.
Iranian and Pakistani officials have maintained close diplomatic contacts in recent months. Iran’s Foreign Minister Araghchi also held discussions with Munir on Saturday on regional developments and efforts to advance political and diplomatic solutions, according to Iranian state media.
The latest confrontation is rooted in decades of hostility between Washington and Tehran. The United States first imposed major sanctions on Iran during the 1979 hostage crisis, when Iranian militants seized the U.S. Embassy in Tehran. Washington subsequently severed diplomatic relations with Iran in 1980, beginning a sanctions regime that has evolved through successive administrations.
Sanctions became increasingly focused on Iran’s nuclear program during the 2000s. The 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, commonly known as the Iran nuclear deal, placed limits on Iran’s nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief. The United States withdrew from the agreement in 2018 under Trump’s first administration and restored broad sanctions under a policy known as “maximum pressure.”
The Congressional Research Service has noted that sanctions imposed during 2011 to 2015 and again after 2018 caused substantial economic damage to Iran. At the same time, the record has also shown that economic pressure has not consistently produced the political changes sought by Washington.
Iran has adapted by developing alternative trading networks and maintaining oil exports, particularly to China. Its ability to continue selling oil despite restrictions has complicated efforts to completely isolate its economy.
The current pressure campaign is therefore taking place against a long history of sanctions, negotiations and military confrontation. Washington says intensified economic pressure is intended to force Tehran to address issues including its nuclear program and regional security. Tehran maintains that sanctions amount to economic warfare and insists that its sovereignty and security interests must be respected.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has simultaneously called for a diplomatic way out of the conflict, saying that ending the war through negotiations would be preferable while Iran remains in a position of strength. His position suggests that, despite Tehran’s public defiance of Washington’s sanctions threats, diplomatic channels remain open.
The outcome of Monday’s developments could therefore have consequences beyond the U.S.-Iran relationship. A successful Pakistani mediation effort could help reopen negotiations and reduce pressure on the region. Failure, combined with additional sanctions and continued restrictions around the Strait of Hormuz, could deepen the economic and security crisis and place further pressure on global energy supplies.
For now, Tehran is signaling that it will resist the latest U.S. pressure, while Islamabad is attempting to keep diplomacy alive. Munir’s visit to Tehran will provide an important test of whether regional mediation can create a path back to negotiations at a time when both economic and military tensions remain high.
Edgardo Hernal started college at UP Diliman and received his BA in Economics from San Sebastian College, Manila, and Masters in Information Systems Management from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University in Oak Brook, IL. He has 25 years of copy editing and management experience at Thomson West, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters.
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