Iran's Foreign Ministry on Friday, 28 August formally urged countries worldwide to refuse participation in Washington's unilateral sanctions regime against Tehran, condemning the measures as violations of international law. The appeal marks one of Tehran's sharpest public pushbacks against US economic pressure in recent months.

Tehran's Core Argument

In an official statement, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said the US sanctions violate the UN Charter, international humanitarian law, and human rights norms. The ministry further accused Washington of weaponising the dollar to coerce other nations into adopting what it described as 'interventionist' policies against Iran.

The statement called on all countries to refrain from implementing the sanctions or recognising 'the situations or impacts resulting from these illegal actions' — language that signals Tehran is actively lobbying for a coalition of non-compliance.

Araghchi's X Post and the Qatar Meeting

Earlier on the same day, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi signalled conditional openness to renewed diplomacy with the United States. In a post on X, Araghchi referenced his Thursday meeting in Tehran with Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, describing the talks as involving 'creative discussions.'

Araghchi wrote: 'Putting diplomacy back on track isn't impossible. It hinges on US understanding of one simple fact: pressure doesn't work.' He called on Washington to build trust, speak respectfully, acknowledge Iran's rights, and uphold its commitments toward the country.

Backdrop: Trump's Pressure Campaign

The Iranian statements come after US President Donald Trump declared earlier this month that the United States would launch 'the most crushing economic operation ever' against Iran, characterising it as 'economic warfare and isolation on an unprecedented scale.' US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent subsequently announced a fresh wave of sanctions designed to further isolate Tehran.

Notably, this escalation follows a period of tentative engagement. On 18 June, the United States and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on ending regional conflict, with a 60-day negotiation window set to conclude by 17 August. However, a sharp escalation between the two sides last month has left the fate of those talks uncertain.

What Comes Next

The dual signals from Tehran — a hard legal challenge to US sanctions and a conditional diplomatic olive branch — suggest Iran is pursuing a two-track strategy: rallying international opinion while keeping a negotiated off-ramp nominally open. Whether third countries heed Tehran's call to resist US pressure will depend heavily on their own exposure to dollar-denominated trade and Washington's secondary sanctions enforcement. The next move, analysts suggest, lies with Washington.