Trump Imposes 25% Tariff on Business Done With Iran

President Donald Trump said the United States will impose a 25% tariff on any country that continues to do business with Iran, applying the measure to all trade with the U.S. and stating that it takes effect immediately.

“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. This order is final and conclusive,” Trump said in a post on his social media platform Truth Social.

The announcement comes amid heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran following widespread protests in Iran and a violent crackdown by security forces. A monitoring group said more than 600 people have been killed in clashes between demonstrators and Iranian authorities.

The White House said it is weighing multiple response options. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said airstrikes are among the “many, many options” under consideration, while adding that “diplomacy is always the first option for the president.” Trump said Iran has been in contact with the U.S. and “they want to negotiate.”

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi responded, saying, “We are ready for war but also for dialogue.”

Trump did not specify the legal authority for the tariffs or clarify whether they would apply uniformly to all of Iran’s trading partners.

Iran, already under extensive U.S. sanctions, exports most of its oil to China, with Turkey, Iraq, the U.A.E., and India among its major trading partners. The move could affect India, which has significant trade with Iran and already faces 50% U.S. tariffs, including a 25% component linked to its purchases of Russian oil.

China criticized the decision, with its embassy in Washington opposing “any illicit unilateral sanctions and long-arm jurisdiction” and saying it would take “all necessary measures” to protect its interests. Turkey urged restraint, with Omer Celik, spokesperson for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling party, saying Iran’s internal challenges should be resolved through “its own dynamics” and warning that external interference could worsen regional instability.

Russia condemned what it described as foreign interference in Iran’s internal affairs. Russia’s Security Council said its executive secretary Sergei Shoigu spoke by phone with Iran’s Ali Larijani and offered condolences over the casualties.

Meanwhile, in Europe, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola announced a ban on Iranian diplomats from the Parliament’s premises, writing on X, “This House will not aid in legitimizing this regime that has sustained itself through torture, repression and murder.”

U.S. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham supported Trump’s decision, praising the economic pressure on Iran and calling for further action, including military measures without deploying ground forces.