Trump Threatens 50% Tariffs on Countries That Supply Weapons to Iran

TLDR

• Trump posted on Truth Social that any country supplying military weapons to Iran faces an immediate 50% tariff on all goods sold to the U.S.
• The threat came hours after the U.S. and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire, with Iran temporarily reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
• Legal experts question whether Trump has the authority to impose these tariffs after the Supreme Court removed his main legal tool in February.
• China is a key concern, as it supplies Iran with drones and dual-use military parts, and a Trump-Xi summit is planned for next month.
• Iran and Israel both agreed to the ceasefire, and Tehran put forward a 10-point proposal as a framework for negotiations.

President Donald Trump threatened on Wednesday to impose a 50% tariff on any country that supplies military weapons to Iran.

The post came just hours after the U.S. and Iran reached a two-week ceasefire agreement. The deal came shortly before Trump’s deadline for escalation.

As part of the ceasefire, Iran agreed to temporarily reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping route for global oil. Israel also agreed to the terms, the White House confirmed.

Tehran put forward a 10-point proposal that is now being used as the main framework for ongoing negotiations.

Questions Over Legal Authority

Despite the tough language, it is not clear Trump has the legal power to carry out the tariff threat.

In February, the Supreme Court removed the president’s main legal tool — a 1977 emergency law — that he had previously used to impose tariffs quickly and without detailed justification.

The tariff options Trump has left require more specific legal grounds and formal investigations before they can be put in place. The White House did not respond to a request for comment on which legal authority the president plans to use.

One option available to Trump is Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930, which allows tariffs of up to 50%. However, that law is designed to address discriminatory foreign trade practices against U.S. goods, not weapons sales to third countries.

Trump’s most legally solid tariff option — based on investigations into unfair trade practices across dozens of countries — is still being developed and is not yet ready to use.

China in the Crosshairs

China is the country most directly in focus with this threat. Beijing supplies Iran with drones, spare parts, and other dual-use items that Iran uses for military purposes.

Reuters reported last month that Iran was close to finalizing a deal to buy Chinese-made ship-killer cruise missiles.

Trump does have a prior investigation into China’s trade practices from his first term, which could potentially be used to justify new tariffs specifically on Beijing.

However, any move to target China over its trade with Iran could create tension ahead of a planned summit between Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing next month.

The Chinese embassy in Washington did not respond to a request for comment.

Earlier this year, in February, the U.S. had already sanctioned more than 30 individuals, entities, and vessels connected to Iran’s oil sales and weapons production.

Those measures were designed to force third-country businesses to choose between dealing with Iran or keeping access to the U.S. market.

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