President Trump just threatened all countries doing business with Iran with higher tariffs, sending a message to Iran that he’s got more items in his arsenal than just military action.
Here’s what he wrote:
Effective immediately, any Country doing business with the Islamic Republic of Iran will pay a Tariff of 25% on any and all business being done with the United States of America. This Order is final and conclusive. Thank you for your attention to this matter!
PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) January 12, 2026
In related news, it appears that Vice President JD Vance is pushing Trump towards diplomacy with Iran, at least at first:
WSJ – The White House is weighing a last-ditch Iranian offer to engage in diplomacy over curbing its nuclear program even as President Trump currently leans toward authorizing fresh military strikes on Iran, U.S. officials say.
Some senior administration aides, led by Vice President JD Vance, are urging Trump to try diplomacy before retaliating against Iran for killing protesters during a two-week uprising over a flailing economy and regime repression, the officials said.
Speaking Sunday to reporters on Air Force One, Trump said that Tehran messaged Washington a day earlier that it was willing to enter negotiations over its yearslong nuclear program, which the U.S. seeks to limit. Trump said “a meeting is being set up” though the U.S. was still looking at “very strong options” he could authorize before discussions.
Trump hasn’t made a final decision on what he will do, according to officials, and will meet with senior aides Tuesday to determine his approach. The options could include ordering military strikes on regime sites or launching cyberattacks, approving new sanctions and boosting antiregime accounts online. Some officials have voiced concerns that U.S. military strikes could fuel the regime’s propaganda that the U.S. and Israel are secretly orchestrating the protests.
Vance, while generally resistant to engaging in conflicts, remains open to striking Iran, according to a person familiar with his thinking, believing the country is a threat to the U.S. Vance was initially skeptical of bombing Iran during discussions last June before Trump ordered attacks on the Iranian nuclear sites of Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan.
Officials note the U.S. doesn’t have an aircraft carrier in the Middle East but Trump could still deploy bombers, Air Force jet fighters or naval assets to strike Iran.
Top Iranian officials have threatened to attack American troops in response to a U.S. assault, a threat officials say is just rhetoric for now but does carry some weight. While Iran’s long-range missile capability was degraded by U.S. and Israeli strikes last year, Tehran still has a significant arsenal of short-range missiles that can reach the eastern side of the Arabian Peninsula, one official said.
On Monday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said his country was “ready for negotiations but these negotiations should be fair, with equal rights and based on mutual respect.” But if such talks aren’t possible, Iran, he said, “is fully prepared for war.” Araghchi also confirmed he contacted U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff over the weekend seeking meetings with the administration.
Some in the U.S. doubt that Iran is genuine about ending its nuclear program, telling Trump that Tehran may be finding a way to buy time and avoid American airstrikes and maintain its legitimacy despite widespread popular unrest.