United States President Donald Trump signed an executive order threatening to impose additional tariffs on countries that continue to trade with Iran.
The regulation, signed on Friday, does not specify the amount of the duties, but it cites a rate of 25 percent as an example. It is envisaged that the tariffs may apply to goods imported into the US from any country that “directly or indirectly purchases, imports or otherwise obtains goods or services from Iran”, writes the BBC.
Trump did not directly refer to the regulation, but he repeated from Air Force One that Iran must not have nuclear weapons.
Sanctions and continuation of negotiations
The decree comes at a time when senior US and Iranian officials are holding talks in Oman, after weeks of mutual threats. Back in January, Trump announced the possibility of introducing tariffs on countries that do business with Iran.
The White House said the order confirms a “permanent state of emergency with respect to Iran,” with the possibility of changes if circumstances change. The explanation states that the US considers Iran responsible for developing nuclear capabilities, supporting terrorism and destabilizing the region.
At the same time, the US Department of Foreign Affairs announced that it was imposing sanctions against 15 companies that traded in Iranian oil and petrochemical products.
Iran has not yet announced these measures.
Nuclear dispute and economic pressure
Iran is already under extensive sanctions from the US and Western allies over its nuclear program, which Tehran says is purely peacetime. Under the 2015 nuclear deal, Iran had strict limits on uranium enrichment, but in 2018 Trump pulled the US out of the deal and renewed sanctions.
After that, Iran began to violate certain provisions of the agreement, especially regarding uranium enrichment. Last year, the United Nations reimposed economic and military sanctions due to what it said was “continued nuclear escalation.”
Despite the sanctions, more than 100 countries continue to trade with Iran. The largest partner is China, which in the period until October 2025 imported goods worth more than 14 billion dollars. They are followed by Iraq, the United Arab Emirates and Turkey, to which Iranian exports increased significantly last year.
Messages from the negotiations in Oman
The talks in Oman are led by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, while the American delegation is represented by special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.
Trump rated the talks as “very good”, saying that Iran “wants a deal”, but warned of “serious consequences” if it is not reached. A new round of negotiations has been announced for next week.
The Iranian side announced that the atmosphere was positive and that the talks represented a “good start”.
Rising tensions between the US and Iran are raising fears of a new conflict in the Middle East as Washington continues to build up its military presence in the region.
