China’s depends on sanctioned oil from Iran, carried by aging, uninsured “Ghost Fleet”. China is the primary buyer of Iranian oil, purchasing
over 80% to 90% of Iran’s exported crude
President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed at a White House meeting on Wednesday that the U.S. would work to reduce Iran’s oil exports to China, Axios reported, citing two U.S. officials briefed on the issue.
“We agreed that we will go full force with maximum pressure against Iran, for example, regarding Iranian oil sales to China,” Axios reported on Saturday, quoting a senior U.S. official.
Asked about the report, China’s foreign ministry said on Sunday that “normal cooperation between countries conducted within the framework of international law is reasonable and legitimate, and should be respected and protected.”
China is the primary buyer of Iranian oil, purchasing
over 80% to 90% of Iran’s exported crude, averaging around 1.38 million to over 1.4 million barrels per day (bpd) in 2025. These imports, mostly handled by independent “teapot” refiners, represent roughly 13–14% of China’s total sea-borne oil imports and are often trans-shipped via Malaysia to avoid U.S. sanctions.
U.S. and Iranian diplomats held talks on Iran’s nuclear programme through Omani mediators last week in an effort to revive diplomacy, after the U.S. president positioned a naval flotilla in the region as the American military prepares for the possibility of sustained, weeks-long operations against Iran.
REUTERS
