President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Feb. 6 imposing tariffs as high as 25 percent, effective midnight Saturday, on products imported to the United States from any country doing business with Iran.
He cited national security for the need to issue the order, writing that tariffs will “more effectively deal” with the Iranian regime.
The penalty applies to any nation that “directly or indirectly purchases, imports, or otherwise acquires any goods or services from Iran,” according to the order.
Administration officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, among others, will identify which countries are trading with Iran and determine appropriate tariff levels.
Trump wrote in the order that he imposed the tariffs because “the actions and policies of the Government of Iran continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat, which has its source in whole or substantial part outside the United States, to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States.”
Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama also issued a series of executive orders limiting Iran’s ability to access international markets. Trump reimposed and intensified sanctions on Iran in his first term in office.
Tensions flared in the middle eastern country as anti-government protests escalated in January. In recent public appearances and Truth Social posts, Trump repeatedly issued words of support to those marching for democracy and fired off a series of threats to Iranian leaders if they killed protesters.
“Iranian Patriots, KEEP PROTESTING - TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!!!,” Trump wrote Jan. 13. “Save the names of the killers and abusers. They will pay a big price.”
He told the protesters that “help is on its way,” in all caps, and adapted his trademark Make America Great Again MAGA to “MIGA” for Make Iran Great Again.
A group of Iranian Americans attended the president’s rally in Iowa on Jan. 27 wearing homemade MIGA shirts. They told The Epoch Times that Trump’s focus on democracy creates a moment of opportunity for the 92 million Iranians.
“People in Iran are being killed and massacred,” Sara Hazinia said while the rally was underway. “Iranians are fighting with their bare hands against the terrorist regime.”
“We have said this before, and we say it again: do not play games with President Trump,” the post reads.
Trump said the nation’s nuclear enrichment programs were “completely obliterated.”