Trump's Iran Economic Campaign Faces Major Hurdle: China
The Trump administration's new economic campaign against Iran has a major challenge: China. Beijing is Tehran's largest trading partner and main oil buyer, which could complicate efforts to isolate the Islamic Republic from its remaining economic partners.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent declared an 'economic onslaught' on Iran's financial connections worldwide, but specifics about targeting China were absent, raising doubts about the campaign's effectiveness.
Analysts say Washington and Beijing will engage in a delicate dance to balance pressure on Iran with avoiding higher tensions that could harm the US economy. Edgard Kagan, a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, noted that President Donald Trump may not act tough on China before hosting Chinese leader Xi Jinping next month.
China's foreign ministry stated that its cooperation with Iran is 'within the framework of international law' and warned against disrupting it. Analysts expect Beijing to do the minimum to comply without openly confronting the US, given its significant economic interests in Iran.
Sun Yun, director of the China program at the Stimson Center, suggested that if the US goal is to exert pressure on Iran to make concessions, China could demonstrate cooperation by cutting back on oil imports from Tehran. However, she warned that Beijing will not comply with the US campaign if its aim is to destroy the Iranian economy.