India, Jan. 13 -- As violent anti-government protests sweep across Iran, US President Donald Trump has dramatically escalated pressure on Tehran by announcing sweeping trade penalties. On Monday, Trump declared that any country continuing business with Iran would face a 25 percent tariff on all trade with the United States, a move that could have far-reaching global consequences.

The announcement comes as Iran witnesses one of its most intense periods of unrest in years. More than 600 protests have erupted across all 31 provinces, with activists reporting hundreds of deaths and thousands of arrests. The growing violence has pushed Washington to consider tougher economic and even military responses.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said,...