Egypt Tries to Revive US-Iran Negotiations

Iran on Saturday condemned the impending U.S. announcement of new sanctions, characterizing the move as an "assertion of extraterritorial sovereignty over every independent member state of the United Nations." Tehran argued that such secondary sanctions lack any basis in international law.

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Such secondary sanctions find no foundation in international law.

The U.S. Treasury Secretary is scheduled to hold a press conference Monday to detail what are described as "the toughest sanctions in history" against Iran. U.S. officials have also urged cooperation from China, a major buyer of Iranian oil, which imports over 80% of the country's shipped oil according to 2025 data.

This escalation comes amid a prolonged period of conflict since U.S. and Israeli airstrikes against Iran began on February 28. While direct fighting has ceased, there are no signs of peace talks. Iran's economy is already under severe pressure from existing sanctions, and oil shipments in the Strait of Hormuz are near a standstill. Tehran has threatened to target any unauthorized oil tankers attempting to transit the vital waterway.

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They would love to make a deal, but they're not ready to make the right deal, in my opinion.

U.S. President Donald Trump stated that Iran "would love to make a deal, but they're not ready to make the right deal." Meanwhile, the chief of staff of Iran's armed forces promised "crushing, punishing and devastating responses" to any enemy threats. Despite U.S. actions diminishing Iran's economy and military capabilities, Tehran retains missile and drone capacity to disrupt oil traffic.

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crushing, punishing and devastating responses