Washington, 13 January 2026 (dpa/MIA) - The United States will impose 25% tariffs on all countries that do business with Iran, President Donald Trump said on Monday, intensifying pressure on Tehran amid nationwide protests.

"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 wrote on his Truth Social platform, without clarifying what activities would fall under "doing business."

Among Iran's main trading partners are India, China and Turkey.

It is not the first time Trump has threatened so-called indirect tariffs. During the war in Ukraine, he imposed tariffs of up to 50% on Indian goods over the country's purchases of Russian crude oil. Any additional tariffs on China could also reignite trade tensions between Beijing and Washington after a period of relative calm.

The announcement comes as protests in Iran stretch into a third week. Demonstrations that initially erupted over a deepening economic crisis have spread nationwide and evolved into a broader challenge to the country's hardline Islamic rulers.

Clashes and unrest have been reported in several cities, with security forces responding with heavy force. Activists say hundreds of protesters have been killed, in what appear to be the most serious protests in Iran in years.

Trump has voiced public support for the demonstrators and warned Iran's leadership against repression. Over the weekend, he told reporters that the government in Tehran wanted to negotiate.

MIA file photo