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Trump targets Iran’s trade lifelines — here are the countries most exposed

News | 2026/08/25 05:29

Trump targets Iran’s trade lifelines — here are the countries most exposed

The U.S. threatens sanctions against Iran's trading partners

The Trump administration threatened to cut off any entity that launders money for Iran from the U.S. dollar system:

This effort, if implemented, could significantly sever the economic lifeline that has sustained Tehran's economy through nearly six months of war:

China, the UAE, Turkey, Iraq, and India are among the top trading partners of Iran:

The U.S. announced an "economic D-Day" campaign Monday to isolate Iran from the global economy, threatening penalties against "enablers" that continue doing business with Tehran:

China

China is the biggest buyer of Iranian oil and serves as a crucial link to the global economy for Tehran, accounting for about 90% of its oil exports:

China reported $9.96 billion in bilateral trade with Iran in 2025:

United Arab Emirates

The Emirates, located just 50 miles from Iran across the Persian Gulf, has long been a major trading hub for Iran:

The bilateral trade amounted to around $28 billion in 2024:

Turkey

Turkey maintains significant commercial ties with Tehran, importing Iranian natural gas:

The Turkey-Iran bilateral trade reached $5.7 billion in 2024:

Iraq

Iraq, dependent on Iranian electricity and gas, has historically traded billions with Tehran:

The trade between Iraq and Iran exceeded $10 billion in 2025:

India

India, among Iran's top five trading partners, has seen its bilateral trade with Iran fall in recent years:

In April 2026, India resumed importing crude oil from Iran:

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