Iran slams Trump's economic pressure plan as more 'failed policies'

TEHRAN: Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Thursday dismissed US President Donald Trump’s economic punishment plan for Tehran as a continuation of “failed policies”, which he said would bring Washington “further defeat”.

“The so-called ‘Economic D-Day’ is a diversion from America’s own crisis: unprecedented debt & surging interest costs. Doubling down on failed policies will only bring further defeat — and enmity of Iranians,” Araghchi said in a post on X.

“US economic terrorism threatens global economy and sovereignty worldwide.”

In a post on his Truth Social, Trump said he was announcing “the MOST CRUSHING ECONOMIC OPERATION EVER TAKEN AGAINST ANY COUNTRY! This will be Economic Warfare and Isolation on an unprecedented scale.”

“ANY country that allows its financial institutions, businesses, airports, or government entities to provide any type of lifeline to Iran will itself face TREMENDOUS Economic Consequences,” he said.

War broke out between Iran and the United States on February 28 with US-Israeli attacks which triggered Iranian retaliation across the region.

An April 8 ceasefire put an end to the intense bombardment, but sporadic clashes continued in and around the Strait of Hormuz, a vital energy conduit which Iran has blockaded and has since become flashpoint in the conflict.

Reopening the strait has become a US priority but Iran insists the waterway will remain closed until Washington lifts its naval blockade on Iranian ports, removes oil sanctions, and unfreezes Iran’s assets abroad.

Trump has long pursued a “maximum pressure” policy of economic sanctions on Iran and reinstated those measures after he took office in January 2025, mirroring his approach during his first term.

Iran has dismissed the sanctions program as a failure, insisting that such measures and threats will not force it to change course.