Economic penalties will not change Iran’s behaviour: Analyst

0 January 13, 2026 03:49

United States President Donald Trump on Monday (Jan 12) announced a 25 per cent tariff on any country trading with Iran, amid Tehran’s violent crackdown on a wave of protests. The Middle Eastern nation, already under heavy US sanctions, exports roughly 90 per cent of its shipped oil to China. Alex Vatanka, a senior fellow at the Washington-based Middle East Institute, says the move appears aimed at reassuring domestic and international audiences that Washington is maintaining a hard line on Tehran. He tells CNA’s Asia First that with China remaining Iran’s largest trading partner, further economic penalties are unlikely to be a game changer. Read more: https://cna.asia/49yibFH

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