President Trump appeared to suggest that the United States would impose economic penalties on countries that do business with Iran, though he did not specify what actions he would take.<\/p>\n
President Trump has threatened \u201ctremendous economic consequences\u201d on any nation that does business with Iran, without offering details. The threat appeared to be his latest effort to isolate the country from the global economy and pressure its leadership into negotiating an end to the war.<\/p>\n
The United States has already imposed debilitating sanctions on Iran\u2019s economy and its leadership, and the Trump administration has previously sanctioned certain foreign businesses and organizations that trade with Tehran. Mr. Trump\u2019s vaguely worded social media post on Wednesday seemed to suggest that he could target nations that buy Iranian oil, without naming any.<\/p>\n
The president has, on occasion, backed down from such threats. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi of Iran dismissed his latest warning, calling it \u201ca diversion\u201d from America\u2019s own crises.<\/p>\n
If Mr. Trump follows through, these are some of the countries that could be most affected:<\/p>\n
China is Iran\u2019s largest trading partner and the primary consumer of its oil, according to recent analysis by the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, a group founded by Congress to examine America\u2019s bilateral ties to China.<\/p>\n
For years, China has been practically alone in its willingness to defy Western sanctions on Iranian oil, buying up to as much as 90 percent of Tehran\u2019s oil exports. In recent months, however, Iran\u2019s ability to ship oil by sea has been all but cut off by a U.S. naval blockade.<\/p>\n
Last year, China estimated its bilateral trade with Iran to be worth nearly $10 billion, a figure that doesn\u2019t include oil.<\/p>\n
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