US President Donald Trump has announced a 25 percent tariff on any country doing business with Iran.
In a post on his Truth Social platform on Monday, Trump said
the tariff was “effective immediately” and described the decision as “final and
conclusive”.
“Any country doing business with the Islamic Republic of
Iran will pay a tariff of 25 percent on any and all business being done with
the United States of America,” he wrote.
Trump did not provide further details on how the measure
would be enforced or what level of commercial ties would qualify as “doing
business” with Iran.
The announcement comes amid widespread anti-government
protests in Iran, which began on December 28, after shopkeepers in Tehran
protested another sharp decline in the value of the rial against the US dollar.
The demonstrations later spread to other cities, with
protesters voicing broader grievances over economic hardship and political
conditions.
According to the US-based Iranian Human Rights Activists
News Agency, protests have taken place in at least 186 cities and towns across
all of Iran’s provinces.
Human rights groups say hundreds of protesters have been
killed and thousands injured in the ensuing crackdown by security forces.
Iran Human Rights, a Norway-based organisation, said at
least 648 protesters have been killed since the demonstrations began, with
thousands more injured.
“They fired directly into lines of protesters, and people
fell where they stood,” an eyewitness told BBC.
A digital blackout imposed by Iranian authorities has cut
millions off from internet access, making independent verification of events
difficult.
Iran’s economy has been under strain due to government
mismanagement, corruption, and longstanding US sanctions linked to its nuclear
programme.
The rial has fallen to record lows over the past year, while
inflation has surged, pushing the prices of basic goods such as food sharply
higher.
Food accounts for about one-third of Iran’s imports, and
additional trade restrictions could worsen shortages and further raise costs
for ordinary citizens.
Trump had earlier warned of possible US intervention, saying
Washington was considering “very strong options” in response to the violence.
He has also said the US is prepared to come to the “rescue”
of Iranian protesters if the government continues to use force against them.
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