US Fails to Convince China to Help Strangle Iran

The US has threatened to economically strangle Iran, but analysts say it would require unlikely cooperation from China.

China is a key customer for Iranian oil and has trade relations with Tehran that are 'legitimate' according to Beijing.

'Oil is the central economic lever,' said Nino Lezhava, a fellow at the Washington-based Center for European Policy Analysis. 'Simply continuing to... maintain commercial channels and provide alternative payment mechanisms can substantially reduce the effectiveness of economic isolation.'

The US has already targeted some Chinese entities accused of helping Tehran procure 'critical technology', but has so far held back from punishing major Chinese financial institutions.