China has rejected a US call to support economic sanctions on Iran, saying it opposes any illegal and unilateral sanctions that aren’t authorized by the UN Security Council or international law. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had called on Beijing to “get with the program” and back an economic campaign aimed at getting the Iranian regime to comply with the White House’s demands to end the war.
However, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said “sanctions and pressure will not help resolve the issue” and would only heighten regional tensions. It urged Washington and other parties to pursue a resolution through political and diplomatic dialogue rather than economic coercion.
Iran said the US threats were “economic terrorism” and they would fail. “The so-called ‘Economic D-Day’ is a diversion from America’s own crisis: unprecedented debt & surging interest costs,” Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a post on X.
Despite the heavy international sanctions and a US-enforced naval blockade in the Gulf, Iran has found ways to continue exporting its oil, with China as its biggest buyer, using a so-called shadow fleet of tankers, all of which are under international sanctions.
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China’s Commerce Ministry told domestic companies and independent “teapot” oil refineries to ignore the US sanctions. Beijing reportedly invoked a 2021 blocking statute that prohibits Chinese firms from complying with foreign sanctions deemed illegitimate.
The diplomatic standoff occurs at a delicate time, given US officials are trying to finalize an agenda for Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is expected to visit Washington in the last week of September.
Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guard Corps said the country would use more “devastating” weapons if a new conflict starts. IRGC spokesperson Hossein Mohebbi said in an interview with Iran’s Defa Press news agency that was published on Thursday and reprinted by Xinhua in China.
The situation is complex, with multiple factors at play. The US is trying to pressure Iran into complying with its demands, while China is trying to maintain its economic ties with Tehran.
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For now, it seems that China is not willing to support the US-led economic sanctions on Iran. The country’s stance on this issue may have significant implications for the global economy and international relations.
The outcome of this situation will depend on various factors, including the actions of other countries and the effectiveness of the sanctions.
China’s stance is clear.
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