China’s Response Crucial in Trump’s Economic War Against Iran

A former US national security official says China will be the decisive test of President Donald Trump's threat to launch an 'all-out economic war' against Iran. According to Mark Pfeifle, a former deputy national security adviser in the United States, Beijing's response will determine whether Washington's sanctions campaign can significantly weaken Tehran.

Pfeifle pointed out that China has already reduced its imports of Iranian oil from about 1.5 million barrels per day to roughly 500,000 barrels per day while increasing purchases from Brazil, Iraq, and Russia. He said Beijing's next moves will reveal how seriously it takes Washington's latest economic pressure campaign against Iran.

China remains Iran's largest trading partner and the biggest buyer of its oil exports, making Beijing central to the effectiveness of any US effort to cut off Tehran's oil revenues. If China continues reducing Iranian imports, the sanctions campaign could have a much greater economic impact on Iran.