United States President Donald Trump declared on Monday that any nation conducting business with Iran will immediately face a 25% tariff on all trade with the United States, significantly escalating economic pressure on Tehran as the regime violently suppresses nationwide anti-government protests that have killed hundreds of demonstrators.
The tariff announcement, posted on Truth Social and described as "final and conclusive," potentially affects major U.S. trading partners including China, India, Türkiye, Brazil, and the United Arab Emirates, with China's embassy in Washington firmly opposing what it called "illicit unilateral sanctions" and warning that "tariff wars and trade wars have no winners."
According to the Observatory of Economic Complexity, Iran's largest trading partners combine for more than $10 billion in annual trade, with analysts estimating China accounts for over 90% of Iran's oil trade through intermediaries, while India recorded $1.68 billion in bilateral trade with Iran during 2024-2025 according to the Union commerce ministry.
Trump did not provide specific implementation details or define what qualifies as "doing business" with Iran, leaving uncertainty about whether the tariffs apply to goods, services, or both, and raising questions about enforcement mechanisms as the White House declined to share additional information beyond the president's social media post.
The economic isolation strategy accompanies Trump's threats of potential military intervention to "rescue" Iranian protesters, with Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei stating Tehran remains open to diplomacy but will not engage in "one-sided negotiations," while communication channels between Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff remain active despite escalating tensions.
