US President Donald Trump said he is watching the outcome of newly imposed economic sanctions on Iran, according to an Al Jazeera report published on August 22, 2026. He again claimed that Iran has become economically and militarily weaker under US pressure and said Tehran is very interested in reaching an agreement with Washington.

Trump said, “We are watching what happens,” when asked about the effectiveness of the new sanctions. His remarks reiterated his previous position that sanctions are an important tool for increasing economic pressure on Tehran amid longstanding tensions between Iran and the United States.

Iran’s foreign minister responded in a social media post, rejecting Trump’s assessment. The minister said the US plan for economic warfare against Iran is bound to fail. Iran has described US sanctions as economic warfare, while Washington has continued to use sanctions to increase pressure on Tehran.