Trump vows 25% tariff on goods from Iran’s ‘business’ partners

WASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump said he is imposing a 25 per cent tariff on goods from countries “doing business” with Iran, ratcheting up pressure on the government in Tehran that has been

rocked by widespread protests.

He posted on social media on Jan 12 that the new duty would be “effective immediately”, without providing details about the scope or implementation of the charges.

The action has the potential to disrupt major US trading relationships across the globe.

Iran’s partners include not only neighbouring states, but also large economies including India, Turkey and China.

“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. This order is final and conclusive,” Mr Trump said.

The Chinese Embassy in Washington criticised Mr Trump’s approach, saying China will take “all necessary measures” to safeguard its interests and opposed “any illicit unilateral sanctions and long-arm jurisdiction”.

“China’s position against the indiscriminate imposition of tariffs is consistent and clear. Tariff wars and trade wars have no winners, and coercion and pressure cannot solve problems,” a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington said on X.

Mr Trump already imposed

levies as high as 50 per cent on Indian goods

tied to their purchase of Russian oil.

The two sides have been working for months to finalise a deal that would provide long-sought tariff relief to New Delhi.

An additional 25 per cent tariff hitting products from Beijing risks upsetting the trade truce Mr Trump negotiated with Chinese President Xi Jinping in late 2025.

China is the world’s top buyer of Iranian crude, and the nation’s independent refiners were increasing their intake of the oil as of December.

Hanging over the threat is an impending decision by the US Supreme Court on the legality of Mr Trump’s global tariffs.

If the justices rule against him, it could hamper his ability to quickly impose duties on Iran’s partners. The court’s next opinion day is Jan 14.

Iran has experienced weeks of mass unrest

, which was initially sparked by a currency crisis and worsening economic conditions but has increasingly been aimed at the regime.

It has amounted to the biggest challenge to the Islamic Republic’s ruling system since 1979.

While Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s regime has weathered protests before, the demonstrations are spreading and drew hundreds of thousands of people, by some accounts, across the country over the weekend.

The Iranian authorities have sought to stamp out the protests, with more than 500 people killed so far and more than 10,000 arrests, according to the Human Rights Activists News Agency.

Mr Trump has openly backed the protesters and warned Tehran against violently repressing the demonstrations.

In an interview on Fox News last week, he said the US would hit Iran “very hard” if it continued to shoot at protesters.

On Jan 11, Mr Trump told reporters that the Iranian leadership has

reached out to seek talks

and that a meeting is being set up, without offering details on timing.

Still, he said that his administration is considering potential options and indicated he was coordinating with allies in response to Iran.

“We’re looking at it very seriously. The military is looking at it, and we’re looking at some very strong options,” Mr Trump told reporters.

“I’m getting an hourly report and we’re going to make a determination.”

He has been briefed on a range of options for military strikes in Iran, including non-military sites, a White House official said over the weekend.

Mr Trump is seriously considering authorising an attack, according to the official who requested anonymity to detail internal discussions.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has opened channels of communication with Mr Trump’s Middle East envoy, Mr Steve Witkoff, a spokesman from the ministry said on Jan 12.

Iran has warned the US and Israel – which coordinated to carry out strikes on nuclear facilities in the country in 2025 – against any attempt to intervene.

Tehran and Washington have not had formal diplomatic ties for decades.

Mr Trump’s threats to Iran have the region on edge, coming on the heels of a US strike earlier in January in Venezuela – another oil-rich country – which led to the capture of strongman Nicolas Maduro.

Should the US or its ally, Israel, intervene, that threatens to draw neighbouring countries into the crisis and risk access to the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway for energy exporters. BLOOMBERG, REUTERS