US President Donald Trump on Friday signed an executive order threatening tariffs on Iran's trade partners, following his pledge to hold a further round of talks with Tehran next week.
The order, effective from Saturday, calls for a fresh "imposition of tariffs" on countries still engaging in trade with Iran.
The move comes amid heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran, with a US naval group led by an aircraft carrier operating in Middle Eastern waters and indirect talks on Tehran's nuclear programme taking place in Oman on Friday.
The order states that levies "may be imposed on goods imported into the United States that are products of any country that directly or indirectly purchases, imports, or otherwise acquires any goods or services from Iran."
Trump had threatened 25 per cent tariffs on any country trading with Iran last month. This order establishes a process for his administration to implement tariffs on goods from those countries.
The exact rate is to be determined by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, though the order notes it could be "for example" 25 percent, the figure first mentioned by the US president in mid-January.
Tariffs could affect trade with several countries, including Russia, Germany, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates.
More than a quarter of Iran's trade is with China, totalling $18 billion in imports and $14.5 billion in exports in 2024, according to World Trade Organization data.
The talks in Muscat on Friday, mediated by Oman, were the first between the two nations since the United States joined Israel's war with Iran in June, conducting strikes on nuclear sites.
"We likewise had very good talks on Iran," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One en route to his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, adding, "We're going to meet again early next week."
Diplomatic relations between Iran and the US broke down following the 1979 Islamic Revolution, which brought the current government to power after hostages were taken at the US embassy in Tehran for 444 days. Direct engagement has been rare in the decades since.
Iran remains under an internet blackout amid a harsh government crackdown on economic protests that began in December.
The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) said Friday that it has confirmed 6,505 protesters were killed, alongside 214 members of the security forces and 61 bystanders.
