Washington (TDI): US President Donald Trump has said that China is free to continue purchasing oil from Iran following the recent ceasefire between Tehran and Israel, though he encouraged Beijing to buy more American crude instead.
“China can now continue to purchase oil from Iran. Hopefully, they will be purchasing plenty from the US also,” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform, days after authorizing airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities.
The White House later clarified that Trump’s remarks did not signal a formal easing of sanctions on Iran. A senior administration official said that the statement referred to the reality that the US has not observed Iran attempting to block the Strait of Hormuz, an action that could have disrupted global oil supply and posed problems for China, which remains Iran’s biggest oil buyer, according to Reuters.
“The president continues to urge China and other countries to buy American oil, which is cleaner and safer, instead of violating sanctions by importing oil from Iran,” the official added.
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Trump’s comments came just hours after the Iran-Israel ceasefire was confirmed, and immediately impacted global oil markets. Prices dropped nearly 6 percent on Tuesday, as traders interpreted his remarks as a potential sign of softer enforcement on Iranian oil exports.
Such a shift would contrast sharply with Trump’s own “maximum pressure” policy, announced in February, which aimed to halt Iran’s oil exports entirely due to concerns over its nuclear ambitions and support for militant groups in the region.
Under that policy, the US imposed multiple rounds of sanctions on Chinese independent refiners as well as port operators that processed Iranian shipments.
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For now, market analysts expect little immediate change in Beijing’s buying behavior. Iranian crude accounts for about 13.6 percent of China’s oil imports this year, with steep discounts making it attractive to smaller refineries operating on thin margins.
In contrast, US oil represents just 2 percent of China’s imports, and a 10 percent Chinese tariff on American crude continues to limit demand.
Farkhund Yousafzai is an Associate Editor at The Diplomatic Insight.
