Fears Iran Death Toll Will Rise as Trump Imposes 25% Tariff

President Donald Trump said he is imposing a 25% tariff on goods from countries "doing business" with Iran, ratcheting up pressure on the government in Tehran that has been rocked by widespread protests.  Trump posted on social media on Monday that the new duty would be "effective immediately," without providing details about the scope or implementation of the charges. The action has the potential to disrupt major US trading relationships across the globe.  Iranian authorities have sought to stamp out the protests with more than 500 people killed so far and more than 10,000 arrests, according to the Human Rights Activists News Agency. Patrick Sykes covers Iran for Bloomberg, he joined Caroline Hepker and Lizzy Burden on Bloomberg radio to discuss.

US President Donald Trump urged Iranians to continue protests against the regime of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as activist groups warned that thousands may have been killed in more than two weeks of violent unrest.

“KEEP PROTESTING - TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!!!” Trump posted on Truth Social on Tuesday, saying he’d canceled all meetings with Iranian officials until the killing of demonstrators stops. “HELP IS ON ITS WAY,” he added, without specifying what that meant.

At an event later in the Detroit area, the US president told reporters they are “going to have to figure out” his intentions, but that he encouraged US citizens and people from allied countries to leave Iran.

“I think they should get out,” Trump said.

The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency reported that at least 2,000 people have died in the Iranian upheaval, making it the deadliest wave of protests in the Islamic Republic in decades and the most severe threat yet to Khamenei’s rule.

Of those killed, 1,850 were protesters, 135 were government-affiliated, nine were children, and nine were other civilians not participating in the protests, the HRANA said.

The Oslo-based Iran Human Rights group earlier warned the “risk of mass and extrajudicial executions of protesters is extremely serious.” The organization said one demonstrator, 26-year-old Erfan Soltani, could be executed on Wednesday, less than a week after his arrest in the city of Fardis.

The IHR said the death toll could be more than 6,000.

Concern about the scale of fatalities is mounting as Trump moved to further isolate Tehran over the violence. His call on protesters to continue their campaign — which began late last year over rising living costs before dramatically escalating — followed his Monday move to impose a 25% tariff on goods from countries “doing business” with Iran.

That may impact a range of countries with trading relationships with the Islamic Republic, led by China, the United Arab Emirates and Turkey.

‘Final Days’

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz predicted that the Islamic Republic is in its “final days” and “effectively finished,” according to comments on Tuesday during a visit to India.

Iran’s government hasn’t given any figures for civilian deaths and the state broadcaster, which has an effective monopoly on domestic news services, has repeated official claims that “terrorists and rioters” killed scores of security forces amid a continued internet blackout.

In one video that’s been verified by the BBC as coming from a mortuary on the outskirts of Tehran, at least 180 bodies can be seen. HRANA reported that almost 17,000 people had been detained in connection with protests.

A video purportedly from downtown Tehran, near the city’s Enghelab Square, which has hosted pro-government rallies, appeared to show hundreds of protesters chanting against Khamenei overnight on Monday. Another video showed protesters gathering in Tehran’s main cemetery, chanting slogans.

Unrest across Iran intensified sharply from Thursday through the weekend, drawing hundreds of thousands to the streets, calling for the downfall of Khamenei. Despite a sweeping crackdown and state-organized rallies challenging the unrest, it remains unclear how long the calm claimed by authorities will hold, while the underlying drivers of the protests remain unresolved.

--------

Watch Bloomberg Radio LIVE on YouTube

Weekdays 7am-6pm ET

Follow us on X

Subscribe to our Podcasts:

Bloomberg Daybreak

Bloomberg Surveillance

Bloomberg Intelligence

Balance of Power

Bloomberg Businessweek

Listen on Apple CarPlay and Android Auto with the Bloomberg Business app:

Apple CarPlay

Android Auto

Visit our YouTube channels:

Bloomberg Podcasts

Bloomberg Television

Bloomberg Originals