<p>China has directed domestic companies to disregard US sanctions targeting Iranian oil imports, escalating tensions with Washington and setting up a direct challenge to the Trump administration’s pressure campaign against Tehran.</p>
<p>According to a report by Fox News, China’s Commerce Ministry issued a directive on Sunday invoking a 2021 “blocking statute” that bars Chinese firms from complying with foreign sanctions Beijing considers illegitimate.</p>
<p>The order reportedly applies to several Chinese refiners accused by the United States of purchasing Iranian crude, including independent “teapot” refineries.</p>
<h2><strong>Trump Administration Intensifies Pressure On Iran</strong></h2>
<p>The move comes as the Trump administration ramps up sanctions aimed at cutting off a major source of Iranian revenue.</p>
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<p>US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent accused China of effectively financing Iran’s military activities through large-scale oil purchases.</p>
<p>Speaking to Fox News, Bessent said: “China, let’s see them step up with some diplomacy and get the Iranians to open the strait.”</p>
<p>He added: “Iran is the largest state sponsor of terrorism … China has been buying 90 percent of their energy, so they are funding the largest state sponsor of terrorism.”</p>
<p>Bessent has repeatedly defended the administration’s “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran, saying the US is “suffocating” Tehran through financial restrictions and naval enforcement measures.</p>
<h2><strong>China Remains Iran’s Biggest Oil Buyer</strong></h2>
<p>China continues to remain the primary destination for Iranian oil exports despite mounting US sanctions.</p>
<p>Much of Iran’s sanctioned crude reportedly reaches Chinese refiners through indirect shipping channels and complex maritime networks designed to avoid detection.</p>
<p>Defending its latest action, China said the US sanctions unlawfully interfere with normal trade between sovereign nations.</p>
<p>China’s Commerce Ministry said the American measures violate international norms and confirmed that Chinese firms were prohibited from recognising or complying with the sanctions.</p>
<h2><strong>Diplomatic Tensions Rise Ahead Of Trump-Xi Meeting</strong></h2>
<p>The latest dispute comes ahead of a highly anticipated meeting later this month between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.</p>
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<p>Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Beijing this week for talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, underlining China’s growing role as both Iran’s leading oil customer and a major diplomatic partner.</p>
source https://news.abplive.com/business/china-defies-trump-sanctions-push-tells-firms-to-keep-buying-iranian-oil-1842128
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