China, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and Iraq are Iran’s principal trading partners.
Paris, France: As a rights group claimed that a crackdown on protesters has killed at least 648 people, US President Donald Trump increased pressure by announcing a 25 percent levy on any nation doing business with Iran. In a social media post on Monday, Trump, who has frequently threatened Iran with military action, stated that the new levies would “immediately” affect the Islamic republic’s trading partners who also do business with the United States.
He said, “This Order is final and conclusive,” although he did not say who would be impacted. According to the economic database Trading Economics, China, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and Iraq are Iran’s top trading partners. Trump has been considering his choices for Iran, which has been rocked by protests for over two weeks that have resisted deadly force and an almost complete internet blackout.
The national protests, which were sparked by economic frustrations, have developed into one of the most significant challenges to Iran’s theocratic government since the shah was overthrown by the Islamic revolution in 1979. Iranian authorities organized their own statewide counter-rallies, accusing foreign meddling of fueling the turmoil. Rights organizations cautioned that the cutoff of communications was intended to conceal an increasing number of fatalities. Iran Human Rights (IHR), an NGO based in Norway, acknowledged that 648 people had died during the protests, including nine juveniles. However, it cautioned that the death toll was probably far higher, “according to some estimates more than 6,000”.
IHR stated that an estimated 10,000 individuals had been arrested and that it was “extremely difficult to independently verify these reports” due to the internet outage. IHR director Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam stated, “The international community has a duty to protect civilian protesters against mass killing by the Islamic republic.” Trump is still “unafraid” to use military force against Iran, according to the White House on Monday, but he is first attempting negotiation. war on four fronts Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, praised the large-scale nationwide demonstrations on Monday as evidence that the protest movement had failed in an attempt to reclaim control of the streets.
Khamenei, who has been in power since 1989 and is currently 86 years old, claimed that the pro-government turnout was a “warning” to the US. Referring to pro-government protests, he stated, “These massive rallies, full of determination, have thwarted the plan of foreign enemies that were supposed to be carried out by domestic mercenaries,” according to state TV. State TV broadcast footage of individuals waving the national flag and praying for victims of what the administration has called “riots” in Tehran’s capital. Speaking to the throng at Enghelab (Revolution) Square, parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf declared that Iran was engaged in a “four-front war” that included psychological war, economic war, “military war” with Israel and the United States, and “today a war against terrorists”—a reference to the protests.
He pledged that the Iranian military would give Trump “an unforgettable lesson” in the event of an attack, while the Persian slogans “Death to Israel, Death to America” flanked him. However, Trump said on Sunday that he had received a call from Iran’s leadership asking “to negotiate.” Iran is “not seeking war but is fully prepared for war,” according to international Minister Abbas Araghchi, who called for “fair” negotiations in front of a group of international diplomats in Tehran. Despite their lack of formal ties, Araghchi and Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, have open lines of communication, according to foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei.
The US-based son of Iran’s overthrown shah, Reza Pahlavi, who has been outspoken in advocating for rallies, told CBS News that the government was “trying to trick the world into thinking that (it) is ready to negotiate once again.” He claimed that Trump “knows what’s at stake” and is “a man that means what he says and says what he means.” “This dictatorship has undoubtedly crossed the red line that was drawn.
“Respect for their rights
“State media channels went to great lengths to portray a picture of peace returning to Tehran, including pictures of traffic moving smoothly.
Mohammad-Sadegh Motamedian, the governor of Tehran, emphasized that “the number of protests is decreasing” during broadcast remarks. Numerous security force members have reportedly been killed, according to Iranian official television, and their funerals have turned into sizable pro-government demonstrations. Three days of national mourning for the deceased have been announced by the government. In addition to expressing sympathy for the demonstrators, the European Union announced on Monday that it was “looking into” placing more penalties on Iran for its suppression of protests. Additionally, the European Parliament declared that all Iranian delegates and ambassadors were prohibited from entering the assembly’s premises.
“The state violence that indiscriminately targets Iranian women and men who courageously demand respect for their rights” was denounced by French President Emmanuel Macron in a statement. In Moscow’s initial response to the protests, Tehran’s partner Russia denounced what it saw as attempts by “foreign powers” to meddle in Iran, according to official media.
