President Donald Trump has signalled a sharp escalation in Washington’s pressure campaign against Iran, warning that any country maintaining commercial ties with Tehran will be hit with a sweeping 25 per cent tariff on all trade with the United States.
The warning, issued in a post on Trump’s Truth Social platform, comes at a tense moment for Iran, where widespread anti-government protests have erupted, marking the most significant public unrest the country has witnessed in years.
“Effective immediately, any Country doing business with the Islamic Republic of Iran will pay a Tariff of 25 per cent on any and all business being done with the United States of America,” Trump declared, framing the move as a decisive response to Tehran’s conduct.
Although the tariffs would technically be paid by U.S. importers bringing in goods from affected countries, the policy is designed to force Washington’s trading partners to choose between access to the American market and continued economic engagement with Iran. Iran, a key member of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), has long been under heavy U.S. sanctions, particularly targeting its oil exports and financial sector.
Despite these restrictions, Tehran has managed to sustain its economy through trade with a handful of countries, most notably China, which buys the bulk of Iran’s oil. Other significant trading partners include Turkey, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates and India, all of which could now find themselves caught in the crossfire of Washington’s renewed hardline approach.
The tariff threat underscores the Trump administration’s willingness to use economic leverage beyond traditional sanctions, extending pressure not just to Iran but to nations that continue to do business with it. As Washington weighs its broader response to the unrest unfolding inside Iran, the latest announcement raises the stakes for global trade relations and could further isolate Tehran on the international stage.
