WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump warned Monday that any country that does business with the Islamic Republic of Iran will face a 25% tariff on “any and all business being done with the United States,” according to a post on Truth Social.
“Effective immediately,” Trump wrote, adding: “This Order is final and conclusive.” The post was timestamped 4:46 p.m. Eastern on Jan. 12, 2026.
The announcement fits Trump’s broader playbook of using tariffs not just as a trade policy, but as a pressure tool to force behavior changes, what he and allies often frame as making governments “pay a price” and be held accountable.
https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/115884319075881590
Trump has previously leaned on tariff threats in disputes well outside traditional trade fights, including pressuring Mexico in 2019 during a border and migration standoff. More recently, he threatened new tariffs over Mexico’s water deliveries tied to a long-running treaty dispute, again using tariffs as leverage over non-trade issues.
In other cases, Trump has used tariffs as punishment and negotiating leverage against major economic rivals, such as the 2018 Section 301 tariff actions targeting China, framed at the time as a response to U.S. findings on technology transfer and intellectual property concerns.
