In a major escalation of economic pressure, U.S. President Donald Trump announced Monday the immediate imposition of a 25% tariff on any country that conducts business with Iran.
The move comes as a rights group estimated that at least 648 people have been killed in a violent government crackdown on nationwide protests, now entering their third week.
Trump declared the new levies “final and conclusive” in a social media post, stating they would target Iran’s trading partners who also engage in commerce with the United States.
While he did not name specific nations, Iran’s primary trading partners include China, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and Iraq.
The announcement intensifies the U.S. confrontation with Iran at a moment of profound internal crisis for the Islamic Republic. The protests, initially sparked by economic grievances, have evolved into one of the most significant challenges to the theocratic system since the 1979 revolution.
Iranian authorities have responded with a severe crackdown, implementing a near-total internet blackout that has obscured the true scale of the unrest.
The Norway-based group Iran Human Rights (IHR) reported it has verified 648 fatalities, including nine minors, but warned the actual death toll is believed to be far higher—with some estimates exceeding 6,000. The group also stated that roughly 10,000 people have been arrested.
“The international community has a duty to protect civilian protesters against mass killing by the Islamic Republic,” said IHR director Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam.
As the White House signaled Trump remains “unafraid” to use military force but prefers diplomacy, Iran’s leadership attempted to project control. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei hailed massive, state-organized counter-rallies as proof the protest movement was defeated, calling the pro-government turnout a “warning” to the U.S.
In Tehran, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf told a crowd at Enghelab Square that Iran was fighting a “four-front war”—economic, psychological, military, and “a war against terrorists,” in a clear reference to the protesters. He vowed the military would teach Trump “an unforgettable lesson” if attacked.
Internationally, reactions divided. The European Union is “looking into” additional sanctions over the repression, and the European Parliament banned Iranian diplomats from its premises. French President Emmanuel Macron condemned “state violence.”
Meanwhile, Iran’s ally Russia denounced alleged foreign interference, in its first reaction to the unrest.
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