Trump threatens 25% tariff on countries trading with Iran as rights group reports 648 killed in protests
U.S. President Donald Trump said he will impose a 25% tariff on “any country” that does business with Iran, escalating economic pressure on Tehran as an Iran-focused rights group reported at least 648 people killed in a sweeping crackdown on nationwide protests.
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“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,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, calling the order “final and conclusive.” Tariffs are paid by U.S. importers of goods from those countries.
The White House did not immediately comment, and there was no accompanying policy document or detail on what legal authority would be used to impose such broad levies or whether they would apply to all of Iran’s trading partners. Iran’s key partners include China, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Iraq, according to the Trading Economics database.
The tariff threat comes as Iran faces its largest anti-government demonstrations in years, triggered by economic grievances and widening into a direct challenge to the clerical establishment. The Norway-based Iran Human Rights (IHR) group said it has confirmed 648 people killed during the protests, including nine minors, and warned the true toll is likely higher amid an internet blackout that has made independent verification difficult. IHR estimated about 10,000 arrests.
“The international community has a duty to protect civilian protesters against mass killing by the Islamic republic,” IHR director Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam said.
Trump has repeatedly warned Iranian leaders he is willing to use military force, even as his administration says diplomacy remains the first option. He has also said Iranian officials have sought talks, while publicly courting members of the opposition.
Inside Iran, authorities sought to project strength with mass pro-government rallies. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 86, in power since 1989, hailed the turnout as proof the protest movement had been defeated and called it a “warning” to the United States, according to state television.
At Tehran’s Enghelab (Revolution) Square, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf framed the confrontation as a “four-front war” encompassing economic, psychological and military pressure from the United States and Israel, and an internal fight against “terrorists,” a reference to the demonstrators. State media broadcast images of people waving flags and holding prayers for those the government describes as victims of “riots.” Iran says dozens of security personnel have been killed and has declared three days of national mourning.
International reaction hardened. The European Union said it is considering additional sanctions over the repression of protests, and the European Parliament barred Iranian diplomats and representatives from its premises. Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin said he favors more sanctions, calling Iran’s government “very repressive” and “anti-democratic.” French President Emmanuel Macron condemned “state violence that indiscriminately targets Iranian women and men who courageously demand respect for their rights.” Russia, a Tehran ally, accused “foreign powers” of interference.
Iranian officials continue to blame foreign meddling for the unrest and have staged counter-rallies in response. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran is “not seeking war but is fully prepared for war” and called for “fair” negotiations.
The scope and enforcement of Trump’s tariff threat—and its possible impact on global supply chains and allies that maintain commercial ties with Iran—remain unclear. If implemented, the measure could test relations with countries that balance trade with Tehran and Washington and heighten an already volatile standoff over Iran’s security posture and domestic repression.
By Abdiwahab Ahmed
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
