Trump Hits Back at Iran Allies With 25% Tariff Threat: ‘Effective Immediately’
President Donald Trump announced a sweeping new penalty Monday aimed at any nation doing business with the Islamic Republic of Iran, declaring that a 25% tariff will be imposed on all U.S. trade with countries that continue commerce with Tehran.
“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 posted on Truth Social. “This Order is final and conclusive. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
The move comes amid a growing crackdown by the Iranian regime on massive anti-government protests, which have erupted across the country and now represent the most serious challenge to Iran’s ruling theocracy since 1979. Over 500 protesters have been killed, according to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), as demonstrators chant “Death to Khamenei” and call for the fall of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s government.
Escalation Following Operation Midnight Hammer
Tensions between the U.S. and Iran have been escalating for months. In June, Trump launched Operation Midnight Hammer, a surprise strike that obliterated Iran’s nuclear facilities and temporarily halted the regime’s atomic ambitions.
Now, the president is threatening a global economic pressure campaign to further isolate the Islamic regime — and he’s signaling that military action is still on the table if the violence against civilians continues.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the administration’s hardline stance on Monday, stating that “air strikes would be one of the many, many options that are on the table for the commander in chief.”
“President Trump is unafraid to act decisively, and nobody knows that better than Iran,” Leavitt added. “What you’re hearing publicly from the Iranian regime is quite different from the messages the administration is receiving privately.”
Iranian Regime on the Ropes?
Behnam Ben Taleblu, a senior director at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, called the current protest wave “the most consequential challenge” to the regime’s legitimacy since its founding.
“Iranians pushed past reform and found the street to be the best way to contest the state,” he said, noting that citizens are demanding “wholesale political change.”
President Trump echoed that sentiment, revealing that Iran’s leaders have made backchannel overtures to negotiate.
“They are tired of being beat up by the United States,” Trump said Sunday, adding that a meeting is being arranged but may not happen soon enough. “I may have to act before that meeting occurs because of what’s happening.”
Trump’s Message: Act Now or Face Consequences
The new tariffs are designed to send a message to Iran’s remaining allies — particularly China, Russia, and European nations — that supporting Tehran will come with a steep price.
By leveraging U.S. trade dominance, Trump is forcing nations to choose between doing business with America or continuing ties with the world’s leading state sponsor of terror.
As Trump put it bluntly: “There seems to be some people killed that aren’t supposed to be killed. We’ll make a determination. But we are watching closely, and we are ready.”