TEHRAN, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Kazem Gharibabadi said Wednesday that the United States is now further pressuring Iran under the label of an "economic war," which he views as an attempt to cover up Washington's previous failure.

This photo taken on Aug. 17, 2026 shows the White House in Washington, D.C., the United States. (Photo: Xinhua)

Gharibabadi said in a social media post that while the United States claims Iran is "on the verge of collapse," it is reaching out to all its allies for help, Iran's official news agency IRNA reported.

To cover up its failure, the United States has to create an even bigger failure, Gharibabadi said, adding that the military war had failed to deliver results, and Washington was now calling the next defeat an "economic war."

U.S. President Donald Trump announced on social media Tuesday that the United States would launch "the most crushing economic operation ever taken against any country" against Iran.