The US president has once again resorted to his favorite tool of international pressure: tariffs as an economic punishment for third countriesThis time, the White House has targeted any nation that maintains trade ties with the Islamic Republic of Iran, announcing a 25% surcharge on all its transactions with the US market.
The announcement has caused concern in capitals around the world, as the measure is not only directed against Tehran, but also aims to... extend the cost of the pressure to Iran's trading partners. Powers like ChinaIndia, Türkiye, and the United Arab Emirates, among others, are now studying the extent to which this new tariff front may alter their economic relations with Washington.
An immediate, unequivocal order issued via social media.
The decision was announced without prior notice through Truth Social, Donald Trump's own social networkIn his message, the president asserted that, "with immediate effect," any nation doing business with the Islamic Republic must assume a 25% tariff on "all business" conducted with the United States, without distinction of sectors, volumes, or transition periods.
According to the text released by the president, The order is "final and conclusive" and does not contemplate explicit exceptions.No adaptation mechanisms for the affected countries have been detailed, at least for the moment, nor has a complete legal document been published specifying the legal basis and technical scope of the measure.
This communication style, based on direct announcements on social media before any formal explanation, reinforces the surprising and political nature of the tariffAt the same time, it raises doubts among governments and businesses about how and when the surcharges will actually be applied, which could paralyze investment decisions and business operations in the short term.
White House sources have indicated that The operational details of the tariff application are still being evaluated.But they have insisted that the political will to impose it is firm. At the same time, it is emphasized that Washington is keeping the diplomatic route open with Tehran, although military options also remain on the table.
The measure comes at a particularly tense time: The United States has ordered its citizens to leave Iran And Trump himself has acknowledged that he is considering a wide range of responses, from additional sanctions to lightning military operations, as part of its "maximum pressure" strategy on the Iranian regime.
Scope of the 25% tariff and countries in the spotlight
The new instrument announced by Washington is presented as a 25% tariff applicable to all commercial transactions with any country that does business with IranThe wording is deliberately broad: it refers to "all business" with the United States, which would include both exports and imports and, potentially, investment contracts and bilateral agreements.
This architecture turns the tariff into a kind of indirect penalties for Iran's partners, extending the impact of sanctions beyond Iranian territory itselfIt's not just about punishing Tehran, but about making it more costly for third parties to continue trading with the Persian country if, at the same time, they want to maintain smooth access to the US market.
Within this logic, the main political objective is quite clear: Iran's key trading partner China is the largest recipient of Iran's oil. Various estimates from the energy sector indicate that around 30% of Iran's foreign trade depends on Beijing and that nearly 90% of Iran's crude oil exports end up, directly or indirectly, in Chinese refineries.
In addition to oil, Iran imports from China Industrial goods, machinery, technology, chemical products and electronic equipmentThis makes Beijing a strategic supplier for the Iranian economy. For the Chinese government, Iran is a relatively stable and affordable source of energy, as well as a key player in its plans for influence in the Middle East and Central Asia, especially within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative.
Along with China, the list of key partners includes United Arab Emirates, Türkiye, India and other countries with a significant volume of trade with TehranAccording to data cited in international economic media, Iran's five main trading partners have moved tens of billions of dollars in annual trade, with China and the Emirates leading the way and Turkey, India and Oman completing the group.
Potential impact on global trade and in Europe
Although Trump's message is not specifically directed at the European Union, The global reach of the measure also raises questions for European economies.Several companies from the Old Continent have traditionally operated in sectors such as energy, infrastructure or industrial goods in Iran, although many withdrew or reduced their presence after previous rounds of US sanctions.
In practice, The fear of losing access to the US market had already limited European companies' exposure to IranThe new 25% tariff reinforces this dilemma: any company or country that maintains a significant trade link with Tehran now has to assess whether it is worthwhile. losing access to the United States market, a key market for numerous European multinationals.
For the eurozone economies, which depend heavily on foreign trade, These types of extraterritorial sanctions pose an additional headache.Brussels has criticized on other occasions the application of US measures with effects outside its jurisdiction, but the EU's actual capacity to offer effective protection to its companies against reprisals from Washington has been limited.
In the specific case of Spain, Direct business presence in Iran is much smaller than that of other European partners.especially compared to Germany, Italy, or France. However, Spain's export sector could be indirectly affected if global supply chains become more expensive or if intermediate trading partners adjust their relationships with Iran to avoid the US tariff.
European companies specializing in sectors such as engineering, energy, or the chemical industry, which once saw opportunities in the Iranian market when some sanctions were relaxed, They now have less room to resume or expand projectsThe risk of being caught between European regulations and US pressure is once again on the table.
China's response and its effects on relations with Washington
From Beijing, the reaction to the announcement was swift. The Chinese embassy in Washington described Trump's decision as an exercise in "coercion" and "unilateral pressure"Its spokesperson reiterated that China firmly opposes unilateral sanctions that are not backed by international organizations and warned that the country will take "all necessary measures" to protect its legitimate interests.
China is walking a delicate balance: Iran is a key energy partner, but access to the US market is also crucial for the Chinese economy.In recent years, and in the face of intensified Western financial sanctions, many Chinese companies have begun to exercise extreme caution when doing business with Iran, reducing their direct exposure to avoid possible reprisals.
Some data suggests that official trade between the two countries has registered significant declines in certain recent periodsThis is partly due to the tightening of the sanctions environment and the use of less transparent channels to continue moving goods, especially oil, through triangulations and opaque operations.
At the same time, Beijing maintains a public narrative based on the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of other StatesThis position allows him to criticize US pressure without openly aligning himself with the internal Iranian repression, attempting to present his relationship with Tehran as essentially economic and strategic, but not ideological.
The tariff announced by Trump adds to a history of trade tensions between the world's two largest economiesAlthough there had been some cooling of the direct trade war between Washington and Beijing in recent months, a measure of this kind, which directly affects oil trade, could reignite frictions and add a new layer of uncertainty to global trade flows.
Economic pressure linked to the internal crisis in Iran
The tightening of tariffs is not explained solely by geopolitical rivalry with China or by the desire to further isolate Iran in international markets. Trump has explicitly linked this measure to the repression of mass protests in Iranian territory., which in recent months have shaken several cities in the country.
Various human rights organizations, both Iranian in exile and international, They report hundreds of deaths and thousands of arrests since the outbreak of the protests. Although the exact figures are difficult to verify due to internet blackouts and information restrictions imposed by the authorities, some NGOs report more than 600 deaths.
Reports from entities such as Iran Human Rights, based in Norway, and the US-based organization HRANA, They point to very high death tolls among protesters and also among security forcesBoth groups agree that the known figures are possibly only a part of the total, due to the lack of transparency in the country.
The White House has used this context to defend the new 25% tariff It is part of a "maximum pressure" strategy aimed at punishing the regime for repression. He has already publicly supported, at least in words, the protesters' demands. Trump has even gone so far as to say that he does not rule out the use of military force if he deems it necessary to "help" bring freedom to Iran.
At the same time, they have maintained discreet contacts between US and Iranian representativesAccording to reports published by media outlets such as Axios, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi recently communicated with the White House Special Envoy for the Middle East and Ukraine, Steve Witkoff, with the aim of reducing tensions or, at least, preventing an uncontrolled escalation.
Between diplomacy, sanctions, and the risk of escalation
In Washington, the White House spokeswoman insisted that All options remain on the tableDiplomacy is presented as the priority path, but the Administration has not wanted to close the door to possible military operations, including targeted bombings or cyber actions, should the situation in Iran deteriorate further.
Some analysts suggest that The US strategy seeks to combine economic pressure on Iran's trading partners with increased domestic political pressure on the regime.The idea would be to force the Iranian government to negotiate on issues such as its nuclear program and its regional behavior, while simultaneously attempting to undermine its financing capacity.
However, international policy experts warn that Excessive hardening can have unwanted effectsAmong them is the possibility that the Iranian leadership will use the external threat to fuel a nationalist discourse, strengthen internal cohesion around the regime, and justify even greater repression against the protesters.
Another concern is that if the sanctions and tariffs result in a drastic worsening of economic conditions in Iran, could trigger new waves of migration or further destabilize a region already marked by multiple conflicts and affect the emerging marketsEvery step taken by Washington, academics and think tanks point out, must be calibrated taking into account these second and third round effects.
The position of other international actors, such as the European Union, Russia, or the Gulf countries, This will be crucial in determining the extent to which the 25% tariff becomes an effective tool of pressure. Or it remains primarily a political gesture. Depending on how these partners react, the measure could reshape alliances, energy flows, and diplomatic balances in the coming months.
The announcement of a 25% tariff on all countries that do business with Iran This represents a new leap in the internationalization of US sanctions.This policy penalizes not only the targeted country but also those who interact with it. China's reaction, the response from European economies, and the evolution of the internal Iranian crisis will determine the extent to which this move by Washington truly alters the global economic and geopolitical landscape.