WASHINGTON, Aug 27 - President Donald Trump said on Thursday that the United States is not engaging in discussions with Iran as his administration concentrates on punitive economic measures. Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, he was explicit about current U.S. intentions: "We don’t want to speak to them. We’re not looking to meet or anything," he said.
The administration's public messaging has framed its approach as a campaign of economic pressure designed to bring Tehran to the negotiating table. Earlier in the day, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told the "Fox & Friends" program that the United States would maintain that economic push until Iran showed a willingness to negotiate in a meaningful way.
Leavitt said: "Now we have Operation Economic Outcast to destroy their economy," and added, "No negotiations are happening right now, and this will continue until the president feels that maybe they come to the table in a meaningful way ... He of course continues to retain all options on the table."
On the enforcement front, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned countries earlier in the week to sever financial ties with Iran or face potential secondary sanctions, describing the move as part of an initiative referred to as "Economic D-Day." Despite the strong language, the Treasury Department did not immediately impose penalties when that warning was issued.
When pressed about potential penalties for countries that continue business with Tehran, the president gave a measured response on Russia, saying, "It depends. So far, I think Russia’s behaved quite well, having to do with the Strait of Hormuz, and you have to understand: for everything they do, we do also. You know, somebody was saying about China. What about China? We hear they’re spying. We spy on them too."
Asked specifically whether he would sanction Chinese banks for dealings with Iran, Mr. Trump replied: "Who said I’m not? You don’t know if I’m doing it ... I don’t have to announce everything, do I?"
Diplomatic activity in the region continued in parallel. Qatar’s prime minister visited Tehran on Thursday in an effort to relaunch diplomacy after the United States and Iran exchanged recriminations over Washington’s stated intention to increase economic pressure. An Iranian official characterized the U.S. approach as "all-out economic war."
The administration's stance, as conveyed by senior officials and the president, signals a sustained preference for leveraging economic measures rather than reopening direct talks at this time. Several details about the implementation and scope of potential secondary sanctions remain formally unexecuted, leaving uncertainty about how and when penalties might be applied.