Trump Announces 25% Tariff On Countries That Do Business With Iran

The US imposes a 25% tariff on nations trading with Iran, aiming to curb Iranian activity amid widespread protests. The move affects Iran's trading partners, fuels discussion on military and diplomatic options, and raises questions about the effectiveness and consequences of sanctions and economic pressure.

US President Donald Trump has ordered a 25 percent tariff on any nation that continues trading with Iran, sharply raising pressure on Tehran over a deadly protest crackdown that rights groups say has already claimed hundreds of lives across the country.

Trump posted the decision on Truth Social, writing: "Effective immediately, any Country doing business with the Islamic Republic of Iran will pay a Tariff of 25% on any and all business being done with the United States of America. This Order is final and conclusive," signalling the move takes effect without delay.

Trump Iran protests: tariffs, key partners and economic pressure

The tariff threat directly affects Iran’s main commercial partners, which include China, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Iraq and India. These countries buy Iranian goods and, in some cases, supply essential imports. The new measure aims to restrict that flow by forcing governments and companies to choose between access to the US market and doing business with Iran.

The policy shift arrives as Trump weighs how far to go in responding to the protests in Iran, which have spread to between 130 and 150 cities, according to Vali Nasr from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. Rights organisations report a rising death toll, while security forces, including the Revolutionary Guards, are accused of leading harsh repression on the streets.

Trump Iran protests: military options and White House signals

At the White House, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that force remains an option, saying earlier on Monday: "Air strikes would be one of the many, many options that are on the table," highlighting that Trump is still considering military choices alongside economic tools and diplomatic contacts.

Leavitt also stressed that talks have not stopped, saying Iran maintains a channel to Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff. According to Leavitt, Iranian officials use "a far different tone" in private messages than in public speeches, suggesting Tehran may still look for ways to ease tensions even while denouncing Washington in official statements.

Trump Iran protests: goals, risks and questions over intervention

Trump’s team holds a range of options in dealing with Iran’s unrest, stretching from low-risk support measures to direct military action. Analysts say any decision first depends on Trump defining his ultimate aim, including whether he wants to weaken the Islamic republic or actively seek its collapse, something Trump has often criticised when discussing earlier US efforts at "regime change" in Iraq.

Ten days have passed since Trump warned that the United States was "locked and loaded" and prepared to "come to the rescue" if Iran’s clerical leadership kills large numbers of demonstrators. Since that warning, Trump continues to talk about possible strikes even as reports emerge of hundreds of protester deaths, raising questions about whether Washington will move beyond statements and sanctions.

Trump Iran protests: momentum on streets and views from exiles

Reza Pahlavi, the US-based son of Iran’s last shah, has tried to influence Trump’s thinking by appealing to the president’s sense of history. Pahlavi has urged Trump not to repeat what critics see as Barack Obama’s caution during the 2009 demonstrations, when Obama worried that loud US backing might undermine a domestically driven movement.

Some specialists argue that conditions now differ from 2009, with protests spreading beyond educated urban groups to wider sections of society. Ray Takeyh of the Council on Foreign Relations, who has written on the shah’s downfall, says Trump could direct pressure at security units such as the Revolutionary Guards, potentially reassuring frightened citizens and helping "affect the fence-sitters in thinking about joining the protests or not," as Takeyh put it.

Trump Iran protests: how much force and what kind of strikes?

Trump already showed willingness to use force in June, when strikes on Iranian nuclear sites were ordered in support of an Israeli campaign. That action matched a pattern seen in places like Venezuela, where Trump has favoured limited, high-profile operations that can be quickly declared successful, while avoiding long, complex wars that demand sustained US involvement.

Vali Nasr warns that any serious attempt to hit security forces across Iran would go far beyond a few sorties, given protests in 130 to 150 cities. Nasr believes Trump "doesn't want to get his hands dirty," suggesting "a performative strike may be more where he wants to go," meaning a narrow attack designed to send a message rather than change conditions on every street.

Trump Iran protests: impact on demonstrators and debate over diplomacy

Behnam Ben Taleblu from the Foundation for Defense of Democracies says the main danger is not that people rally around the Iranian flag, but that fear keeps protesters indoors. "The challenge of the strikes is how to make sure they don't lead to the disbursement of protesters rather than the amplification of protests, if the strikes go off the rails -- if targeting is poor, if intelligence is poor," Ben Taleblu warned.

Ben Taleblu adds that even choosing not to attack would send a strong message, saying inaction would "play into the regime's narrative of painting America as not able to actually come through." That argument fuels calls from some Republican hawks and Reza Pahlavi, who oppose diplomacy and say talks only extend the Islamic republic’s life by easing external pressure.

Others disagree. Mohammad Ali Shabani, editor of Amwaj.media, which tracks Iran closely, believes many citizens would back an agreement that softens sanctions and "lifts the shadow of war." Shabani argues, "I think this would supersede any kind of short-term survival for the Islamic republic because the way things are structured, I think most Iranians at this point accept that the Islamic republic is not going to be there forever."

While Trump also explores ways to restore internet access that authorities in Tehran have cut, his administration continues indirect contacts through Steve Witkoff, even as tariffs, air strike threats and competing expert views shape a fluid situation in Iran, leaving protesters, regional states and trading partners such as India watching closely for Trump’s next move.