WASHINGTON — President Trump on Wednesday threatened to impose massive 50% tariffs on countries sending military firepower to Iran, putting Russia and China on notice.
“A Country supplying Military Weapons to Iran will be immediately tariffed, on any and all goods sold to the United States of America, 50%, effective immediately. There will be no exclusions or exemptions!” Trump wrote in a signed Truth Social post.
Beijing and Moscow in the past have both helped Iran build military capacity — supplying missiles, air defense systems and technology intended to bolster Tehran and complicate matters for Washington.
A Iranian cluster munition is fired toward Tel Aviv on April 8, 2026. Getty ImagesRussia and China, however, have been restrained in their support amid the US-Israeli attacks on Iran.
President Trump threatened to impose tariffs on countries supplying Iran with weapons. Anadolu via Getty Images
Still, Trump’s tariff threat comes weeks after the Supreme Court took a sledgehammer to his favorite tool to impose customized tariffs — the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.
Trump has since turned to other tariff authorities to re-up many of the duties he imposed under the IEEPA, but it’s not entirely clear what law he’d be using to fulfill his Wednesday threat. The alternative tariff authorities Trump used have been much more cumbersome than the IEEPA and make it difficult to impose customized rates.
Meanwhile, Trump also insisted Wednesday that the US was discussing tariff and sanctions relief with Iran amid news of the two-week cease-fire.
“The United States will work closely with Iran, which we have determined has gone through what will be a very productive Regime Change!” he said on Truth Social.
A couple looks at their destroyed home in Beit Shemesh, Israel, on April 5, 2026. Getty Images“There will be no enrichment of Uranium, and the United States will, working with Iran, dig up and remove all of the deeply buried (B-2 Bombers) Nuclear ‘Dust.’ Nothing has been touched from the date of attack.”
“We are, and will be, talking Tariff and Sanctions relief with Iran,” he added.
It comes after Trump pulled back from the brink of a threatened full-blown assault on the Islamic Republic — just two hours before a deadline he set for Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
With Post wires
