DONALD Trump has made his first strike against the Ayatollah as he backs the brave anti-regime protesters in Iran.
The US President said “effective immediately”, any country doing business with the Islamic Republic of Iran will pay a tariff of 25 percent on any and all business being done with America.
“This order is final and conclusive,” he said in his latest Truth Social post.
The former business mogul has regularly used tariffs to achieve his foreign policy goals.
He made similar moves against Venezuela when he ordered a “total and complete” blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers going into and out of the south American country.
The lion’s share of Iranian crude (80-90 percent) exports end up in Chinese hands, so the new tariffs could impact Beijing’s economy.
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Brazil, Turkey and Russia also conducts business with Tehran.
Trump is expected to be briefed on specific options on how to deal with the uprising in Iran tomorrow, with experts predicting he could opt for military action.
Demonstrators have lost their lives since protests broke out in December, triggered by soaring inflation and the collapse of the rial and have expanded into broader demands for political change.
Trump has already threatened to use military force on Tehran in order to restore peace after the government ordered a deadly crackdown on civilian protests.
The Don told reporters on Air Force One that the Middle Eastern country was close to crossing a “red line”, and that the US military is considering taking action.
Trump said: “There seem to be some people killed that aren’t supposed to be killed.
“These are violent – if you call them leaders, I don’t know if they’re leaders or just they rule through violence – but we’re looking at it very seriously.
“The military’s looking at it. We’re looking at some very strong options, we’ll make a determination.”
More than 500 protesters have now been killed by the Ayatollah’s ruthless security forces, according to US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA).
Footage shows dozens of body bags piled up outside a coroner’s office in the country’s capital, as people form queues to identify the bodies of loved ones.
The demonstrators killed were shot with live ammunition and air guns, mainly from close range.
More than 10,000 people have been arrested in what has been the Islamic Republic’s biggest protests since 2009.
Yet Iran’s foreign minister said on Monday that “the situation has come under total control”, offering no evidence to support his claim.
The US State Department has warned American citizens to depart the country by land to Armenia or Turkey.
“Protests across Iran are escalating. Increased security measures, road closures, public transportation disruptions, and internet blockages are ongoing,” official travel advice reads.
“Airlines continue to limit or cancel flights to and from Iran, with several suspending service until Friday, January 16.”
Trump has “shown that he’s unafraid to use military options” when he deems it necessary, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said today.
But, Ms Leavitt said “diplomacy is always the first option”.
She added: “What you’re hearing publicly from the Iranian regime is quite different from the messages the administration is receiving privately, and I think the president has an interest in exploring those messages.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi told Al Jazeera, Tehran was studying ideas put forward by Washington, but these were “incompatible” with US threats.
Separately, a White House Official told Axios Trump is leaning towards striking Iran to punish the regime for killing protesters, but has not yet made a final decision.
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