United States President Donald Trump has signed a new executive order authorising fresh tariffs on countries that continue doing business with Iran, escalating economic pressure on Tehran even as he confirmed another round of talks is scheduled for next week.
The order, which takes effect immediately, establishes a framework for the “imposition of tariffs” on nations that directly or indirectly purchase goods or services from Iran.
According to the directive, levies “may be imposed on goods imported into the United States that are products of any country that directly or indirectly purchases, imports, or otherwise acquires any goods or services from Iran.”
President Trump had last month warned that any country trading with Iran could face tariffs of up to 25 per cent. The new order formalises that threat, empowering his administration to set specific rates.
While the exact tariff levels will be determined by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the order notes that they could be “for example” as high as 25 per cent — the figure first mentioned by Trump in mid-January.
The move comes amid heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran, with a US naval strike group led by an aircraft carrier currently operating in Middle Eastern waters and indirect nuclear talks recently held in Oman.
Countries likely to be affected by the tariffs include Russia, Germany, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates.
China remains Iran’s largest trading partner, accounting for more than a quarter of Tehran’s trade. World Trade Organization data shows Iran recorded about $18 billion in imports and $14.5 billion in exports with China.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One while travelling to his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, Trump said discussions with Iran had been positive.
“We likewise had very good talks on Iran,” the president said. “We’re going to meet again early next week.”
Friday’s talks in Muscat, mediated by Oman, marked the first engagement between the two adversaries since the United States joined Israel’s military campaign against Iran in June, including strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.
Diplomatic relations between Washington and Tehran collapsed following Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution, after militants seized the US embassy in Tehran and held American diplomats hostage for 444 days. Since then, direct engagement between both countries has remained rare.
Meanwhile, Iran continues to experience widespread unrest, with the government enforcing an internet blackout amid a sweeping crackdown on economic protests that erupted nationwide in December.
The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported that it has confirmed the deaths of 6,505 protesters, alongside 214 members of security forces and 61 bystanders during the unrest.
