Loading ...China orders firms to ignore US Iran sanctions, daring US to enforce crackdown
Expert calls the move ‘a measure of defiance by Beijing’ as Trump administration intensifies pressure on Tehran’s oil revenue
A new directive, issued through China’s Commerce Ministry Sunday, invokes a 2021 “blocking statute” that prohibits firms from complying with foreign sanctions deemed illegitimate. The order applies to several Chinese refiners accused by the United States of purchasing Iranian crude, including major independent processors known as “teapot” refineries.
The move represents a shift from years of opaque workarounds to more explicit state-backed resistance, as Beijing signals it will not cooperate with U.S. efforts to cut off a key source of revenue for Iran.
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China orders companies to completely disregard U.S. sanctions on Iran. Direct Chinese insult to President Trump’s authority.