![\"Donald](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Donald-Trump-Pointing-in-Speech.jpg\")
<\/p>\nPresident Donald Trump said on Thursday that the U.S. is not currently engaged in discussions with Iran over an end to the war.\n<\/p>\n
Trump\u2019s comments come amid an increased economic campaign, with fresh sanctions announced earlier this week affecting countries that continue to trade with the Iranian regime.\n<\/p>\n
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Donald Trump Pointing in Speech. Image Credit: White House.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t want to speak to them. We\u2019re not looking to meet or anything,\u201d Trump told reporters<\/a> at the White House.\n<\/p>\n Days After D-Day<\/p>\n Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced new penalties on Monday, 24th August, targeting states that trade with Tehran. \u201cAt dawn begins an economic D-Day \u2013 the single greatest financial offensive ever marshaled against an adversary,\u201d he wrote in the Financial Times<\/a> on Monday. \u201cOur objective is to sever every economic lifeline that sustains the tyrannical regime until Tehran stands alone.\u201d<\/p>\n With Iran already under severe economic sanctions, the Trump administration is aiming to further cripple the Iranian economy by penalizing those who continue to trade with the Persian state.\n<\/p>\n The new measures have drawn criticism, however, amid concerns about China\u2019s reaction<\/a> as Trump seeks a more positive relationship with Xi Jinping ahead of the Chinese President\u2019s visit to the White House next month. China is a major importer<\/a> of Iranian oil, making up more than 80% of Iran\u2019s total energy exports.\n<\/p>\n Trump refused to commit to sanctions on Chinese banks that continue to trade with Iran on Thursday afternoon. \u201cWho said I\u2019m not? You don\u2019t know if I\u2019m doing it \u2026 I don\u2019t have to announce everything, do I?\u201d Trump replied when pressed<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n President Donald Trump gives remarks after presenting the newly-created \u201cMedal of Sacrifice\u201d to three fallen officers\u2019 families from the Palm Beach County Sheriff\u2019s Office, Monday, May 19, 2025, in the Oval Office. (Official White House Photo by Joyce N. Boghosian)<\/p>\n He was also asked about potential financial punishments on Russia, which has continued to trade with Iran throughout the six-month conflict.\n<\/p>\n The President said Russia had \u201cbehaved quite well\u201d, particularly regarding the ongoing dispute over the Strait of Hormuz.\n<\/p>\n Economic Effects Remain to be Seen<\/p>\n Earlier on Thursday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the Trump administration\u2019s economic campaign would continue until Tehran returned to the negotiating table.<\/p>\n \u201cNow we have Operation Economic Outcast to destroy their economy,\u201d she told Fox News<\/a>. \u201cNo negotiations are happening right now, and this will continue until the President feels that maybe they come to the table in a meaningful way\u2026 He, of course, continues to retain all options on the table.\u201d\n<\/p>\n Despite Monday\u2019s announcement, the Treasury Department is yet to impose any penalties on countries that conduct business with Iran.\n<\/p>\n Efforts Elsewhere<\/p>\n While discussions between Washington and Tehran may be mute, the latter has engaged with mediators in the Middle East over the past few days.<\/p>\n In recent weeks, Iran and Omani leaders have discussed a proposal<\/a> which would allow commercial shipping to pass through the Strait of Hormuz<\/a> on a temporary basis.\n<\/p>\n Under the agreement, which is still to be finalized, traffic heading towards the Persian Gulf would be required to transit through Iranian waters, while outbound vessels would pass partially through both Iranian and Omani territory.\n<\/p>\n Qatar, a U.S. ally whose maritime exports require passage through the strait, has also ramped up mediation efforts.\n<\/p>\n On Thursday, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani met Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi for talks in Tehran.\n<\/p>\n The two nations discussed the Iranian-Omani proposal<\/a> to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, along with the free movement of shipping and regional stability.<\/p>\n Trump Refuses to Budge<\/p>\n Even though the Strait of Hormuz<\/a> remains a key sticking point before Washington and Tehran can come to the negotiating table, Trump said this week that he is \u201cnot in a hurry\u201d<\/a> to find a permanent solution to the conflict, which is now entering its seventh month.\n<\/p>\n The two sides have conflicting views on the strait\u2019s jurisdiction. Iran believes it has a right to decide what can and cannot transit through, while Trump has maintained that it\u2019s an international waterway with no state able to dictate the terms of transit.\n<\/p>\n It\u2019s created a major dilemma for those hoping for a permanent peace agreement in the near future. Trump\u2019s demanding a full reopening of the strait before discussions can resume.\n<\/p>\n On the flip side, Tehran<\/a> is insistent that a full cessation of hostilities, both military and economic, is required before commercial shipping can safely pass through.\n<\/p>\n With both sides at loggerheads over the issue \u2013 and Trump ramping up his economic campaign rather than withdrawing \u2013 it\u2019s looking increasingly unlikely that a deal will be made anytime soon<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n About the Author: Shay Bottomley<\/p>\n![\"Donald](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Donald-Trump-31.jpg\")
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