Trump says any country doing business with Iran will face 25% tariffs | Donald Trump News
The US president has threatened Iran with military strikes amid widespread anti-government protests.
Published on January 12, 2026
US President Donald Trump has said countries that trade with Iran will face 25% tariffs on any business done with the United States.
Trump announced the decision in a social media post Monday, saying it was “final and conclusive” but offering few additional details.
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“Effective today, any country doing business with the Islamic Republic of Iran will pay a 25 percent tariff on all business done with the United States of America,” Trump said in a message posted on his website, Truth Social.
It’s unclear which countries could be affected, but major economies such as Russia, China, Brazil and Turkey all trade with Iran, which has been rocked by widespread anti-government protests and riots in the past week.
Iraq and the United Arab Emirates are also important trading partners, according to the Trading Economics database.
In recent weeks, Trump has increased pressure on Tehran and threatened further military strikes against the country if it does not meet US demands to end its nuclear and military programs.
“Now I’m hearing that Iran is trying to rebuild itself, and if that’s the case, we’re going to have to take them down,” Trump told reporters in December. “We’re going to bring them down. We’re going to put them out of action. But I hope that doesn’t happen.”
In June, the United States bombed three Iranian nuclear facilities as part of a 12-day war started by Israel. US strikes on Iran likely violate international law, legal experts say.
“Airstrikes would be one of many, many options that are on the table,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Monday, adding that Trump remained interested in diplomacy, if possible.
Trump also criticized Iran’s harsh crackdown on anti-government protesters and warned that any violence could also lead to a U.S. strike.
In a January 2 article on Truth Social, the US president indicated that he would consider taking military action if protesters were killed.
“If Iran shoots [sic] and violently kills peaceful protesters, as is their habit, the United States of America will come to their rescue. We are locked, loaded and ready to go,” he wrote.
The threat came a day before the United States launched a military attack in Venezuela, which resulted in the kidnapping of President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.
Still, human rights groups have warned that hundreds of people have been killed in Iran, but the country’s internet shutdown has restricted the flow of information.
