Trump announces tariffs on countries trading with Iran as protest death toll climbs

US President Donald Trump on Monday announced a 25 percent tariff on any country that trades with Iran, escalating pressure on Tehran as a rights group reported that at least 648 people have been killed in a crackdown on nationwide protests.

In a social media post, Trump said the tariffs would take effect “immediately” and apply to Iran’s trading partners that also do business with the United States. “This Order is final and conclusive,” he wrote, without naming the countries affected.

According to the economic database Trading Economics, Iran’s main trade partners include China, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Iraq.

Trump’s move comes as Iran grapples with more than two weeks of unrest that has persisted despite a near-total internet shutdown and the use of lethal force. What began as protests over economic hardship has evolved into one of the most serious challenges to Iran’s theocratic system since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Iranian authorities have accused foreign actors of fueling the unrest and have organised large pro-government rallies in response. Rights groups say communications blackouts are being used to conceal the scale of the crackdown.

The Norway-based Iran Human Rights (IHR) organisation said it had verified the deaths of 648 people, including nine minors, but warned the toll was likely far higher — possibly exceeding 6,000. IHR also estimated that around 10,000 people have been arrested, noting that the internet shutdown has made independent verification extremely difficult.

“The international community has a duty to protect civilian protesters against mass killing by the Islamic republic,” said IHR director Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam.

The White House said Trump remains “unafraid” to use military force against Iran but is prioritising diplomacy.

On Monday, Iran sought to project control with nationwide rallies, which Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei described as evidence that the protest movement had been defeated. In remarks broadcast on state television, the 86-year-old leader called the demonstrations a warning to the United States and accused foreign enemies of orchestrating the unrest.

At a rally in Tehran, parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Iran was fighting a “four-front war”, citing economic, psychological and military pressure from the United States and Israel, as well as what he described as a battle against “terrorists” — a reference to the protesters.

Despite the escalating rhetoric, Trump said on Sunday that Iran’s leadership had reached out seeking negotiations. Iranian officials confirmed that communication channels remain open between Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff, even in the absence of formal diplomatic relations.

Araghchi said Iran was “not seeking war but fully prepared for it”, while calling for “fair” negotiations. Meanwhile, Reza Pahlavi, the US-based son of Iran’s ousted shah, said the government was attempting to mislead the international community and warned that the regime had crossed a critical red line.