Trump Warns of 25% Tariffs for Countries Trading With Iran

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In a move that could hit big economies, President Donald Trump said that countries doing business with Iran will be subject to a 25% tariff on imports, effective immediately.

The announcement comes a day after Trump said that he was considering military operations in Iran and warned the Islamic Republic was starting to cross his threshold for intervention as the death toll from an intensifying crackdown on nationwide protests rises.

The warning comes a little more than a week after the US launched strikes on Caracas and captured Venezuelan strongman leader Nicolás Maduro, an audacious move that served as a reminder of Trump’s willingness to use American military power to achieve his foreign policy goals.

However, data shows that more than 100 countries have traded with Iran on some level in the first half of 2025 and could be affected.

China, Turkey, Pakistan and India were among Iran’s largest trading partners, the data showed.

Trump Raises Risk Of Derailing Trade Talks With China

The threat of 25% tariffs has raised the risk of derailing the US’s fragile trade deal with China, Iran’s largest trading partner.

In response to Trump’s tariff threat, China said it “firmly opposes any illicit unilateral sanctions and long-arm jurisdiction,” while warning that it would take “all necessary measures” to defend its interests, according to a post on X by a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in the U.S.

China’s position against the indiscriminate imposition of #tariffs is consistent and clear.

🔴Tariff wars and trade wars have no winners, and coercion and pressure cannot solve problems. Protectionism harms the interests of all parties.

🔴#China firmly opposes any illicit… https://t.co/OfIx5n6dtq

— Liu Pengyu 刘鹏宇 (@SpoxCHNinUS) January 13, 2026

A move towards an increase could be a massive escalation from current tariff levels, easily spiraling into fresh rounds of tit-for-tat escalation, not to mention dashing hopes of US soybean exports to China.

Crypto markets reacted with caution, as geopolitical tensions often fuel volatility. Bitcoin held near $92,000 but faces short-term downside risks from risk-off sentiment, while long-term it could benefit as a hedge against trade disruptions and sanctions evasion in affected regions. Global oil prices edged higher on supply concerns.