US imposes 25% tariffs on countries that do business with Iran as anti-government protests continue
The U.S. has imposed 25% tariffs on countries that continue to do business with Iran as anti-government protests continue, U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Jan. 12.
"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," he said in a post to his Truth Social platform.
Trump has voiced support for demonstrators in Iran and threatened to take military action against the Iranian regime for cracking down on protesters.
"Iran is looking at freedom, perhaps like never before. The U.S.A. stands ready to help," he said on Jan. 10.
Protests began on Dec. 28, with market vendors and shops closing their doors in response to high inflation and the sharp depreciation of the Iranian rial.
Demonstrations quickly surged into anti-government mass protests, with protesters calling for the removal of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Authorities have led a violent crackdown on demonstrators, with at least 544 confirmed killed as of Jan. 11, according to the U.S.-based Iranian rights group, Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA). Meanwhile, independent outlet Iran International on Jan. 10 reported that at least 2,000 protesters were killed over a span of 48 hours.
President Volodymyr Zelensky backed Iran's protesters, calling for international support, and warned Russia that it would not get easier for the Kremlin either.
"It is crucial that the world does not miss this moment when changes are possible. Every leader, every country, and international organizations must step in now and help the people remove those guilty of what Iran has sadly become," Zelensky said in Persian and English in two posts to X.
