Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, has dismissed the threat of a fresh round of US economic sanctions as a ‘desperate’ ploy, according to the Guardian. His remarks came as Iran’s president acknowledged that the country’s people are contending with significant economic hardship amid Washington’s efforts to isolate and weaken Iran’s economy.

The comments follow an announcement last week by US President Donald Trump of a new campaign to increase pressure on the Iranian economy. Trump described the effort as ‘the most crushing economic operation ever taken against any country’, signalling a sharp escalation in Washington’s stance.

The US Treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, is expected to announce further punitive economic measures against Iran on Monday, the Guardian reported. Bessent has described the planned steps as ‘the toughest sanctions in history’.

Speaking to CNBC, Bessent reiterated that the sanctions would be the ‘toughest’ in history, underscoring the administration’s intent to intensify economic pressure on Tehran.

While projecting defiance, Iranian officials appeared to acknowledge the strain of the campaign. President Masoud Pezeshkian admitted that the Iranian people are facing ‘many problems’, a candid recognition of the economic difficulties as Washington seeks to isolate the country.

The exchange highlights the widening gap between Tehran’s public posture of resilience and the domestic economic pressures its leaders concede are mounting under the weight of US action.