US President Donald Trump said that China can continue to import oil from Iran after the announced truce between Tehran and Tel Aviv, but stressed that this does not mean a softening of Washington's sanctions policy towards the Islamic Republic. His statement was quoted by the “Reuters“ agency, BTA reports.
“China can now continue to buy oil from Iran. "I hope they buy a lot from the United States," Trump wrote in a post on the Truth Social platform, days after ordering airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear sites.
According to a White House official, the president's statement was related to the fact that Iran has not taken action to close the strategic Strait of Hormuz - a move that would seriously affect Chinese oil imports. China is among the main customers of Iranian crude.
However, Trump remains firm in his call for China and other countries to prefer "high-tech" American oil over Iranian oil, which remains subject to sanctions under US law.
The statement comes at a delicate moment after the announced ceasefire between Iran and Israel and was perceived as a signal of a possible decline in oil prices, which fell nearly 6% on Tuesday.
Former CIA officer and current head of Rapidan Energy Group, Scott Model, commented that such a “green light” for Chinese imports of Iranian oil would mean a weakening of sanctions control. He stressed that Trump is unlikely to lift sanctions before the upcoming talks with Iran on its nuclear program, as sanctions remain a key tool for pressure.
Any sanctions relief would require complex interagency coordination - the Treasury Department would have to issue licenses, and the State Department would have to issue corresponding waivers of sanctions, subject to notification to Congress.
Currently, Iranian oil accounts for about 13.6% of total imports into China, with its lower prices being key for independent refiners. By comparison, US oil accounts for just 2% of Chinese imports, with supplies also hampered by 10% Chinese tariffs.
A State Department spokesman confirmed that the Trump administration is focused on maximizing the effect of the president's foreign policy signals. However, no concrete measures to change the sanctions regime have been announced so far.
China, which has traditionally condemned the "illegal unilateral sanctions" of the United States, has not yet officially reacted to Trump's words. At the same time, analysts warn that wider Chinese imports of Iranian oil could strain relations with Washington's key ally - Saudi Arabia, the world's largest oil exporter.