Trump threatens 50% tariffs on countries supplying Iran with weapons

After more than five weeks of air strikes against Iran's missile launchers, military installations and weapons industry, Trump returned to a favorite foreign policy pressure tool - tariffs - effectively warning China and Russia in a social media post against restocking Tehran's military inventories.

But the US Supreme Court stripped the US president of his fastest and broadest tariff authority, the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, in February when it ruled that his broadest global tariffs imposed under the 1977 law were illegal. "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! President DJT," Trump wrote on the Truth Social site, without naming any countries.

China and Russia have helped Iran build military capacity to counter US and Israeli pressure, supplying missiles, air-defense systems and dual-use technologies intended to bolster deterrence. That support appeared capped during the U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran. Both Beijing and Moscow have denied supplying any weapons recently, although allegations against Russia have persisted.