Donald Trump threatened to impose a 50% tax on countries supplying weapons to Iran, though it remains unclear which law would be applied, following increased court restrictions on tax authority.
On 9 Apr 2026 GMT+7, Al Jazeera reported that U.S. President Donald Trump announced retaliatory tax measures against countries sending weapons to Iran, imposing an immediate 50% import tax without exceptions. Although Trump did not specify target countries, reports identified China and Russia as key suppliers of weapons and military technology to Iran in recent times.
The announcement came just hours after the U.S. agreed to a two-week ceasefire with Iran. However, the U.S. leader did not specify under which legal authority the tax measures would be enforced.
Previously, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that broad tax powers under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) exceeded legal limits, resulting in lower courts ordering refunds of some collected taxes.
Trade policy analysts noted that implementing such tax measures is complex and may require Congressional approval or alternative trade tools, as no clear legal framework currently exists to support this.
Source: Aljazeera