Iran dismisses U.S. threats on ‘coordinated economic isolation’

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has rejected the economic threats made against his country, saying that such “failed policies” will stir more hostility among Iranians and “bring more failures”.

Mr. Araghchi’s comments came a few hours after Donald Trump threatened “crushing economic measures” against Iran on Thursday (August 20, 2026).

The U.S. President promised “Economic Warfare and Isolation on an unprecedented scale,” but provided few details.

In a social media post, Mr. Araghchi maintained that the threats aim to divert the attention of the American public from domestic financial problems, saying that U.S. “economic terrorism threatens the global economy and the national sovereignty of countries around the world”.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Thursday (August 20) that Iran will face the “greatest coordinated economic isolation in the history of the world”.

In a CNBC interview, Mr. Bessent threatened secondary sanctions on nations and companies that conduct business with Iran, saying it’s time for U.S. allies to make a decision on where they stand.