Pompeo Seeks to Cut Off China's Iran Oil Lifeline Ahead of Xi Visit

Former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is urging the Trump administration to cut off China's imports of Iranian oil before Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Washington. According to Pompeo, China buys the majority of Iranian crude, with up to 500,000 barrels being purchased daily.

Pompeo argues that severing this economic lifeline is critical to bankrupting the Iranian regime and securing an American victory in the Middle East. He claims that the combined economic and military pressure will inevitably force Iran to surrender, bankrupt its terror proxies, and prevent it from acquiring a nuclear weapon.

The push to isolate Tehran economically aligns with the Treasury Department's new 'Operation Economic Outcast,' a maximum pressure campaign designed to defund the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Pompeo notes that this intense economic blockade, paired with recent kinetic military operations by President Donald Trump, fundamentally changes the psychology of Iran's leadership.

Pompeo is pressing for swift action before Xi Jinping's visit on September 24. He emphasizes that Iran must be a top agenda item for the US delegation during the visit and warns China that it has 'picked the losing horse' by backing Tehran.