KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia is not a direct trading partner with Iran and conducts any trade through a third party, says Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan.
This comes after US President Donald Trump on Monday (Jan 14) said that any country trading with Iran will face an additional tariff rate of 25% for business they carry out with the US.
The move follows a massive uprising that broke out in Iran following the collapse of the Iranian rial in December last year, which saw inflation soar and the prices of basic staples become unaffordable.
Mohamad said the tariffs imposed by US president Donald Trump on Iran were his own prerogative.
“We were also hit by the tariffs. Even Canada and Mexico, which are the United States neighbours, were slapped with it.
“However, it is regrettable how free trade is being used as a weapon which further disrupts the political climate,” he said on Saturday (Jan 17).
“We do not want this to happen unless there truly are injustices being committed,” said Mohamad, who is also Umno deputy president, when asked on the matter on the sidelines of the Umno annual general assembly.
