Washington, January 13 2026, (Agencies) – US President Donald Trump has threatened to impose a blanket 25 percent tariff on any country that continues doing business with Iran, escalating pressure on Tehran amid ongoing unrest and heightened regional tensions.
In a statement posted on Truth Social on Monday, Trump said the measure would apply to all trade with the United States involving countries that engage commercially with the Islamic Republic. “Effective immediately, any Country doing business with the Islamic Republic of Iran will pay a Tariff of 25 percent on any and all business being done with the United States of America. This Order is final and conclusive,” he said.
The White House has not yet clarified when the tariff would take effect or which countries would be most affected. Iran’s major trade partners that also maintain commercial ties with the United States include China, India and Brazil, as well as Pakistan, Türkiye and the United Arab Emirates, a close US ally in the region.
The announcement follows Trump’s recent remarks suggesting Washington has “very strong options” on Iran, including the possibility of military intervention to support what he described as the Iranian people’s pursuit of freedom. Iranian officials have rejected such statements, accusing the United States and Israel of fomenting unrest inside the country to manufacture a pretext for foreign intervention.
Iran has been gripped by widespread protests since late December, triggered by a sharp depreciation of the national currency and steep price increases. The unrest has escalated into the most serious turmoil in years, with reports of deadly clashes and widespread damage to mosques, medical facilities and government buildings.
Addressing foreign diplomats in Tehran on Monday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi claimed to have evidence of US and Israeli involvement in what he described as a “terrorist war” against Iran. He alleged that foreign-backed infiltrators, including Israeli intelligence operatives, were embedded among protesters with orders to attack both civilians and security forces to create chaos and justify external intervention.
Since returning to office last year, Trump has revived his “maximum pressure” campaign against Tehran. In June, the United States joined an Israeli strike on several major Iranian nuclear facilities, citing allegations that Iran was pursuing nuclear weapons, a claim Tehran has consistently denied, maintaining its nuclear program is purely peaceful.
The tariff threat also comes amid Trump’s broader trade offensive against both rivals and allies, as he seeks to reshape global trade relations. He has previously floated the idea of penalizing countries trading with Russia and has already imposed additional tariffs on Indian goods, signaling a more confrontational approach to economic diplomacy.