In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the tariff would take effect immediately and apply to any country engaged in trade with the Islamic Republic of Iran. He did not provide further details on how the measure would be implemented or the legal authority behind it.
Iran, a member of the OPEC, has been under heavy US sanctions for years and exports much of its oil to China. Turkey, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates and India are also among its major trading partners.
There was no official documentation of the policy on the White House website, and officials did not respond to requests for comment on whether the tariffs would apply to all of Iran’s trading partners.
The Chinese embassy in Washington criticised the move, saying Beijing opposed unilateral sanctions and would take all necessary measures to protect its interests. In a post on X, a spokesperson said tariff and trade wars have no winners and that coercion cannot solve problems.
Iran is currently facing widespread unrest, with demonstrations evolving from protests over economic hardship into calls for the end of clerical rule established after the Islamic Revolution. Tehran had a brief war with Israel last year, and its nuclear facilities were bombed by the US military in June.
Trump has said the United States may meet Iranian officials and that he has been in contact with opposition figures, while continuing to threaten military action. Tehran said on Monday it was keeping communication channels with Washington open.
According to US-based rights group HRANA, at least 599 people have been killed since protests began on December 28, including 510 protesters and 89 security personnel.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said diplomacy remained the president’s first option, though other measures were under consideration.
Trump’s broader trade policy is also under legal scrutiny, with the US Supreme Court considering challenges to several existing tariffs. According to the World Bank, Iran exported goods to 147 trading partners in 2022.
