Trump announces 'economic war' against Iran and threatens countries that help the regime

Trump says there is no prospect of negotiations with Iran United States President Donald Trump announced this Wednesday (19) that he is launching an "economic war" against Iran. He also threatened to punish any country that helps keep the Iranian economy running. ? Follow the g1 international news channel on WhatsApp In a publication on Truth Social, Trump stated that he will promote the "most devastating economic operation ever adopted against any country". According to him, the campaign will be a form of "economic warfare" and isolation of Iran on an unprecedented scale. "ANY country that allows its financial institutions, companies, airports or government agencies to provide any kind of support to Iran will also face HUGE ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES," he posted. "Oil smuggling, swap lines, money transfers, currency exchanges, ship registries, shell companies — all of this needs to stop NOW. You know who you are." ? The president did not detail how the offensive will work nor did he say how he will punish countries that collaborate with Iran. Trump also stated that he expects all allies of the United States to work to "isolate" and "defeat" the "Iranian threat". The president said that the measure was being adopted because of the lack of an agreement with Iran. The two countries began negotiating the interruption of Iran's nuclear program at the beginning of the year. The failure of the talks provoked a war. According to Trump, the "economic war" against Iran will suffocate the country. Who can be affected? US President Donald Trump during a speech on August 14, 2026 Ken Cedeno/Reuters In January, Trump had already announced a 25% tariff for any country that did business with Iran. As a major oil producer, the Iranian government has many trading partners. In addition to fuels, Iran is an important producer of vegetables, machinery and other equipment. In 2022 alone, according to the World Bank, the country exported products to 147 nations. Currently, China is Iran's main trading partner. In 2022, the country exported US$22 billion in products to the Chinese. Imports reached US$ 15 billion. In second place comes India. In the first ten months of 2025, trade between the two countries totaled US$1.34 billion. India's main exports to Iran include rice, fruits, vegetables, medicines and other pharmaceutical products. Iran's list of major trading partners also includes Germany, South Korea and Japan, countries that are allies of the United States. Iran is not among Brazil's 20 main trading partners, according to data from the Ministry of Development, Industry, Commerce and Services (MDIC). However, it is one of the main Brazilian destinations in the Middle East. In 2025, Brazilian companies imported US$84.5 million from the country, mainly urea, pistachios and dried grapes. Exports totaled US$2.9 billion, with emphasis on corn, soybeans and sugar. VIDEOS: most watched on g1