A Chinese official said Tuesday that Chinese cooperation with Iran should not be “disrupted,” even as the United States is looking to apply maximum economic pressure against the Islamic Republic.“Economic warfare and maximum pressure provide no solution,” Lin Jian, a spokesman for the foreign ministry, said on Tuesday.“On the contrary, they only serve to fuel tensions and lead to risk spillover, which will disrupt the global economic and financial order, and harm the legitimate rights and interests of other countries,” he continued. “The pressing task is to facilitate the deescalation of the situation and return to dialogue and negotiation as soon as possible.”
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent previewed the new efforts over the weekend as an “economic D-Day” that would punish not only Iran, but also its financial enablers around the globe.However, during his Monday announcement, he stopped short of specifically pointing the finger at any would-be accomplices and instead said top administration officials, including President Donald Trump himself, would engage privately with leaders of countries identified as maintaining business relationships with Tehran to quickly facilitate an end to those practices, or else.Bessent was asked why no Chinese banks were subject to additional U.S. penalties at this time, and he said, “Every country, every entity should know that they should be prepared to face U.S. sanctions, and no one is above this. We are going to hold everyone accountable. This is economic asphyxiation of this regime, and, as I said, no one should test our resolve.”China helps Iran evade U.S. sanctions in exchange for relatively cheap oil, and it is Iran’s largest trading partner and the primary buyer of Iranian oil, according to a March fact sheet from the U.S-China Economic and Security Review Commission.When Lin was asked whether China would be willing to comply with U.S. demands, he said, “China’s cooperation with Iran is conducted within the framework of international law, thus should not be disrupted. China is closely following the developments, and will do everything necessary to firmly safeguard its rights and interests.”TRUMP HOLDS OFF ON TOUGHEST IRAN SANCTIONS DESPITE ‘ECONOMIC D-DAY’ BILLING, EXPERTS SAYThe U.S. has leaned into economic pressure because it “hurts them the most right now,” War Secretary Pete Hegseth said Monday in Wisconsin. He also warned that the U.S. military is still open to striking Iran if they are “foolish enough to overplay their hand or mess with the American military.”The situation comes at a delicate time. The U.S. war against Iran has continued, nearing the six-month mark. The two sides have fallen into an uneasy calm lately, in which neither side provokes or attacks the other military, but that can change at any point. For the U.S., as it relates to China, it is an important moment because Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to travel to the U.S. next month to meet with Trump.
