China orders firms to ignore US sanctions on Iranian oil - Fox News

China has ordered companies to disregard US sanctions targeting Iranian oil purchases, Fox News reported on Thursday, citing a directive issued through China’s Commerce Ministry.

The report said the order invoked a 2021 “blocking statute” that bars Chinese firms from complying with foreign sanctions considered illegitimate by Beijing.

According to Fox News, the directive applies to several Chinese refiners accused by Washington of buying Iranian crude, including independent “teapot” refineries.

The report described the move as a more explicit form of resistance to US pressure on Iran’s oil exports, which Washington has sought to curb as part of its sanctions campaign against Tehran.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent accused China of helping finance Iran through oil purchases, Fox News said.

“This is unprecedented. It’s a major escalation in terms of China’s response to US economic statecraft,” Fox News quoted analyst Max Meizlish as saying.

China is the main buyer of Iranian crude, much of which is shipped through opaque maritime networks designed to avoid sanctions enforcement, the report said.