U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that Washington is not pursuing negotiations with Iran and remains focused on an economic campaign to weaken the Islamic Republic’s financial ties globally.
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump stated the U.S. has no intention of engaging with Iranian officials, adding that secondary sanctions remain a key tool to pressure countries continuing business with Tehran. "We don’t want to talk to them. We don’t intend to meet or anything like that," he said. The president also compared U.S. intelligence activities to those of Russia and China, saying Washington’s espionage efforts mirror those of other major powers.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt described the administration’s strategy as an "Economic Pariah" operation aimed at dismantling Iran’s economy until Tehran returns to meaningful negotiations. "There are no negotiations happening at the moment, and this will continue until the president feels they may come to the table in a significant way," she told Fox & Friends. "He, of course, continues to keep all options on the table."
Earlier in the week, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned foreign governments and financial institutions to sever ties with Iran or face penalties under what was billed as "Economic D-Day," though no sanctions were imposed at that time. An Iranian official characterized the U.S. push as a "total economic war" against the country.
Diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions continued as Qatar’s prime minister visited Tehran on Thursday to discuss restarting dialogue following heightened friction between Washington and Tehran. The Strait of Hormuz, a critical oil transit chokepoint, remains a focal point amid regional security concerns.
The White House’s stance comes as the administration emphasizes economic measures over direct engagement, with Trump declining to confirm whether sanctions targeting Chinese banks involved in Iranian transactions were imminent. "Who said I’m not doing that? You don’t know if I’m doing that… I don’t need to announce everything, do I?" he said.
