Among them is Iraq… Trump’s threats to Iran place countries on the list of economic sanctions
Among them is Iraq… Trump’s threats to Iran place countries on the list of economic sanctions
2026-08-21
Shafaq News – Follow-up
US President Donald Trump’s threats to impose sanctions on countries that do business with Iran have resurfaced, putting many countries on the list of potential consequences, most notably Iraq, which has dealings with Iran in various fields.
The US president pledged on Wednesday to wage an economic war on Iran, threatening any country that does business with the Islamic Republic with consequences, at a time when tensions are escalating in the Middle East.
Agence France-Presse (AFP) reviewed in a report the countries that will be affected by these developments.
China
China is the largest trading partner of the Islamic Republic of Iran, accounting for more than a quarter of its foreign trade.
According to World Trade Organization data, Chinese imports from Iran amounted to $14.5 billion, compared to exports of $18 billion to Iran during 2024.
Hydrocarbons and chemical products, including industrial alcohols and plastics, made up the bulk of Iranian exports to China, while Tehran imported machinery, industrial and electronic equipment, cars and metals from Beijing.
United Arab Emirates
Prior to announcing this week that it was cutting trade and financial ties with Iran, the United Arab Emirates was one of Tehran’s main trading partners.
In 2024, Iranian imports from the UAE constituted 30.6% of the country’s total imports, amounting to approximately $21 billion, according to the World Trade Organization.
According to Iranian customs data, the value of Iranian exports to the UAE reached $6.4 billion during the first ten months of 2025, while the value of imports from the UAE reached $14.81 billion, thus exceeding the value of Iranian imports from China during the same period.
Türkiye
Turkey is also one of Iran’s main trading partners. Iranian imports from Turkey reached $5.6 billion during the first ten months of 2025, compared to Iranian exports to Turkey worth $7.91 billion, primarily hydrocarbon products, according to Iranian customs data.
Russia
As for trade between Iran and Russia, the value of Russian imports from Iran reached about $930 million during the first ten months of 2025, while Russian exports to Iran amounted to $1.36 billion.
In 2022, trade between the two countries included grain, gold, and timber in exchange for Iranian agricultural products. Trade cooperation between Moscow and Tehran also expanded, with the establishment of new routes across the Caspian Sea to boost bilateral trade, according to The Telegraph.
Last July, Ukraine fired on ships it said were carrying military cargo linked to Iran in the Caspian Sea, a move that angered Tehran.
Iraq
Iraq occupies an important position in Iranian trade, as the value of Iranian exports to it reached $7.91 billion during the first ten months of 2025, compared to Iranian imports from Iraq amounting to about $450 million.
India
In contrast, trade between Iran and India has seen a sharp decline, with its volume dropping from $17 billion during the period 2018-2019 to $1.7 billion in the period 2024-2025, according to the Indian Ministry of Commerce.
As New Delhi seeks to diversify its energy sources since the Strait of Hormuz crisis, India imported about 276,000 barrels of Iranian oil per day in mid-April, according to data from Kpler, a company specializing in tracking maritime traffic.
Germany
German exports to Iran amounted to about $1 billion during the period from January to November 2025, according to the German Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), while German imports from Iran amounted to about $253 million during the same period.
shafaq.com
