President Donald Trump says countries doing business with Iran will face a 25% tariff on trade with the US, in response to a deadly crackdown on anti-government protests
It’s a big swing from the US president, but one that comes with little detail, writes our economics reporter
China, Iran’s largest trading partner, says it “will take all necessary measures to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests”
Meanwhile, Trump’s national security team is expected to meet later to discuss intervention options – the US president has already been briefed on a range of military and covert tools his country could use, officials tell the BBC’s US partner CBS
Human rights groups report hundreds have been killed by Iranian security forces at anti-government protests in recent weeks. One eyewitness tells the BBC “they fired directly into lines of protesters, and people fell where they stood”
State media reports protests calmed last night, but the BBC has received footage from people who claim they continued in a number of different places – but a days-long internet blackout is making it difficult to verify information
Trump’s announcement of a 25% levy on any country doing business with Iran opens the prospect of a new round of tariffs escalation between the US and China, one of the biggest buyers of already sanctioned Iranian oil.
Trump is continuing to weigh the option of military strikes on Iran, having said its deadly crackdown on protesters was “starting to” cross his red line.
The White House is signalling that no final decision has been made and has pointed to channels of communication remaining open.
These had last year involved on-off negotiations over Iran’s nuclear programme.
Both countries have confirmed renewed contact between Iranian officials and Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff. Despite the heated rhetoric in public by both leaderships, the White House claimed Iran’s tone in private was very different.
