U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday announced a sweeping new trade measure targeting Iran, declaring that any country doing business with the Islamic Republic would face a 25% tariff on all trade with the United States, as he sharply warned Tehran against using force to suppress escalating anti-government protests. “Effective immediately, any Country doing business with the Islamic Republic of Iran will pay a Tariff of 25% on any and all business being done with the United States of America,” Trump said in a social media post. “This Order is final and conclusive.”
The tariff announcement came as protests continued to spread across Iran and as Trump repeatedly cautioned Iranian authorities against violent crackdowns on demonstrators. The U.S. president has framed the unrest as a pivotal moment for Iran, while signaling that Washington is prepared to exert economic, diplomatic, and potentially military pressure in response to developments on the ground.
Alongside Trump’s announcement, the U.S. State Department issued a new security alert urging American citizens to leave Iran, citing deteriorating conditions, widespread internet disruptions, and heightened security risks. “U.S. citizens should expect continued internet outages, plan alternative means of communication, and, if safe to do so, consider departing Iran by land to Armenia or Türkiye,” the alert posted on the U.S. “virtual” Embassy Tehran website stated on Monday.
The State Department advisory highlighted concerns that Iran’s ongoing protests and the government’s response could further restrict communication and mobility for foreigners inside the country. Officials warned that U.S. citizens could face difficulty accessing consular assistance as internet blackouts continue and security measures intensify.
Human rights groups have reported a rising death toll linked to the protests, which began in late December and have since expanded nationwide. According to data compiled by the Oslo-based Iran Human Rights group, at least 648 people have been killed as of Monday, including nine children under the age of 18, while thousands more have been injured. ABC News said it cannot independently verify the figures provided by the organization.
Arrest figures have also climbed sharply, according to activists. The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, known as HRANA, reported that at least 10,681 people have been arrested in connection with the protests. Demonstrations have taken place at 585 locations across Iran, spanning 186 cities in all 31 provinces, HRANA said, while noting that its data relies on activists working both inside and outside the country and cannot be independently verified.
Earlier on Monday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt underscored that the administration is considering a range of responses to the unfolding situation. “I think one thing President Trump is very good at is always keeping all of his options on the table and airstrikes would be one of the many, many options that are on the table for the Commander in Chief,” Leavitt told reporters.
Leavitt added that while military action remains a possibility, the president continues to prioritize diplomacy. “Diplomacy is always the first option for the president,” she said, reflecting the administration’s stated preference for negotiations even as tensions escalate.
Iranian leaders have pushed back strongly against Trump’s threats and rhetoric. On Sunday, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei responded in a post on his official Farsi-language X account, sharing an image of a crumbling statue bearing Trump’s likeness and condemning what he described as U.S. arrogance and interference.
“That father figure who sits there with arrogance and pride, passing judgment on the entire world, he too should know that usually the tyrants and oppressors of the world, such as Pharaoh and Nimrod and Reza Khan and Mohammad Reza and the likes of them, when they were at the peak of their pride, were overthrown,” Khamenei wrote. “This one too will be overthrown,” the ayatollah added.
Khamenei’s message was posted shortly before Trump spoke with reporters aboard Air Force One, where the U.S. president suggested that Iran may have crossed a critical threshold in its handling of the protests while also indicating that diplomatic engagement could be imminent. Trump said it “looks like” Iran may have crossed the administration’s red line by killing protesters and emphasized that the U.S. military has “strong options” available. “We’ll make a determination,” he said.
Trump has repeatedly warned Tehran against the use of force, portraying the protests as a historic opportunity for change. On Saturday, he wrote on social media, “Iran is looking at FREEDOM, perhaps like never before. The USA stands ready to help!!!”
At the same time, Trump said Iranian leaders had reached out to him directly, suggesting that talks could soon take place. “They do. They called,” Trump said when asked whether he believed Iran wanted to engage diplomatically. “Iran called to negotiate yesterday — the leaders of Iran called yesterday. They want to negotiate. I think they’re tired of being beat up by the United States.”
Trump added that preparations were underway for a potential meeting, though he cautioned that U.S. action could come first. “We may meet with them,” he said. “A meeting is being set up, but we may have to act — because of what’s happening — before the meeting, but a meeting is being set up.”
According to a U.S. official, Trump is scheduled to receive a briefing on Tuesday to review possible American responses to the crisis in Iran, including diplomatic, economic, and military options. The briefing is expected to assess the rapidly evolving protest movement and Tehran’s response.
The protests began in late December with demonstrations in downtown Tehran, initially driven by anger over rising inflation and the sharp decline of Iran’s national currency, the rial. As economic grievances mounted, the demonstrations spread to other cities and towns across the country.
Over time, the protests took on a more explicitly anti-government tone, with demonstrators calling for broader political change and accountability from Iran’s leadership. The scale and persistence of the unrest have posed one of the most significant domestic challenges to the Iranian government in years.
Iranian authorities have not released official casualty figures related to the protests. However, state television has broadcast images showing people visiting morgues to identify the bodies of friends and relatives, underscoring the human toll of the unrest.
State-aligned media have reported casualties among security forces as well. The Tasnim news agency said on Sunday that 109 security personnel had been killed during the protests, a figure cited by Iranian officials as evidence of what they describe as violent unrest rather than peaceful demonstrations.
Widespread internet disruptions have accompanied the government’s response. Online monitoring group NetBlocks reported early Monday that Iran’s “national internet blackout” had surpassed 84 hours, limiting access to social media, messaging services, and independent news sources.
Iranian officials have accused foreign powers of fomenting the unrest. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Monday described the protests as a “terrorist war” while speaking to foreign diplomats in Tehran, insisting that the situation was “under control” and that internet access would be restored.
Araghchi claimed that Iranian authorities had gathered extensive evidence of U.S. and Israeli involvement in the protests. “We believe what took place after 8th of January was infiltration,” he said, alleging that “Mossad agents” were leading demonstrations across the country.
The foreign minister also criticized Western governments for what he described as their failure to condemn “terrorists,” reinforcing Tehran’s narrative that external actors are exploiting domestic discontent to destabilize Iran.
On Monday, Iranian state television aired footage of pro-government rallies held in Tehran and other major cities. The broadcasts showed crowds waving Iranian flags in Revolution Square and chanting slogans including “death to America,” “death to Israel,” and “I’d sacrifice my life for the leader.”
State television characterized the Tehran rally as an “Iranian uprising against American-Zionist terrorism,” reflecting official efforts to counter the protest movement by mobilizing supporters and emphasizing resistance to foreign influence.
Dissident voices outside Iran have encouraged demonstrators to continue. On Sunday, exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi addressed protesters in a post on X, declaring what he called “a new phase of the national uprising to overthrow the Islamic Republic and reclaim our beloved Iran.”
“In addition to taking and holding the central streets of our cities, all institutions and apparatuses responsible for the regime’s propaganda and for cutting communications are to be regarded as legitimate targets,” Pahlavi wrote, urging sustained pressure on state institutions.
“Employees of state institutions, as well as members of the armed and security forces, have a choice: stand with the people and become allies of the nation, or choose complicity with the murderers of the people — and bear the nation’s lasting shame and condemnation,” he added. “We are not alone. International support will soon arrive,” Pahlavi wrote.
As protests continue and rhetoric intensifies on both sides, Trump’s tariff threat and warnings of possible military action mark a significant escalation in U.S. pressure on Iran. The unfolding crisis has raised fresh questions about the future of U.S.–Iran relations, the potential for renewed negotiations, and the risk of further regional instability if violence escalates or diplomatic efforts fail.