Global & US Headlines
Trump Imposes 25% Tariff on Iran’s Trade Partners as Protest Death Toll Soars
On 12 Jan 2026, President Trump announced an immediate 25% U.S. tariff on any nation doing business with Iran, escalating pressure just as at least 648 people had been killed during 16 days of anti-government protests under a nationwide internet blackout.
Focusing Facts
- Norway-based Iran Human Rights confirmed 648 fatalities, including nine minors, by 12 Jan 2026.
- Trump’s Truth Social post on 12 Jan 2026 imposed a blanket 25% tariff on all countries trading with Iran, effective immediately.
- NetBlocks reported a near-total internet shutdown in Iran for over 3½ days ending 12 Jan 2026.
Context
Large-scale Iranian unrest over economic collapse recalls the June 2009 Green Movement, when at least 72 were killed and authorities likewise throttled the internet, yet today’s body count is an order of magnitude higher. Washington’s tariff gambit echoes the 1953 Eisenhower-era oil embargo tactics against Mossadegh, but now merges economic coercion with explicit air-strike threats. Structurally, the episode sits at the intersection of three long arcs: Iran’s recurring cycles of popular revolt against centralized clerical power (1906, 1979, 2009, 2019), the post-Cold-War weaponization of dollar-denominated trade routes, and the growing use of digital blackouts as a crowd-control tool first seen in Egypt 2011. Whether this moment endures will hinge on the regime’s ability to sustain repression without collapsing its economy under external tariffs— a dilemma that, over a century, has felled more shahs than sanctions have toppled governments. If history rhymes, outside economic pressure may buy time but domestic legitimacy — not drone strikes — will decide Iran’s next chapter.
Perspectives
Major international public broadcasters
e.g., BBC, SBS — Reporters stress that Iranian security forces are using lethal force against largely peaceful demonstrators, with casualty tallies from rights groups exceeding 600 and mounting international calls to protect protestors. Reliance on exile-based activists for figures (9036845760) and dramatic morgue videos (2026-01-948296746) may incentivise highlighting regime brutality while giving comparatively little space to Tehran’s security concerns.
Outlets amplifying Iran’s official narrative
e.g., bankingnews.gr, Anadolu Ajansı — They foreground statements by Supreme Leader Khamenei and Foreign Minister Araghchi that frame protestors as US-backed mercenaries and claim the government has restored order despite ‘foreign interference’. Heavy use of Iranian officials’ quotes (9040070020) and depiction of pro-government rallies (9040070172) echo state talking points, downplaying reported death tolls and shifting blame abroad.
Right-leaning US and Israeli media favouring a hard line on Tehran
e.g., The Daily Signal, Arutz Sheva — Commentators argue the death toll is likely in the thousands and endorse President Trump’s threats of tariffs, airstrikes and other ‘very strong options’ as necessary to confront the regime. By citing unverified “makeshift morgue” images to claim over 10,000 deaths (9040076993) and spotlighting Trump’s warnings (9040067095), the coverage may inflate numbers and frame military action as desirable, reflecting hawkish ideological leanings.