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US weighs crackdown on Iranian oil sales to China
- Washington is considering tightening enforcement of its Tehran sanctions, notably against Beijing
- Chinese refiners are the biggest importers of Iranian oil
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The United States is considering cracking down on Iranian oil sales to China as it braces for the possibility that Tehran may not return to nuclear talks or may adopt a harder line whenever it does, an official said.
Washington told Beijing earlier this year its main aim was to revive compliance with the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and, assuming a timely return, there was no need to punish Chinese firms violating US sanctions by buying Iranian crude, the official said.
That stance is evolving given uncertainty about when Iran may resume indirect talks in Vienna and whether incoming Iranian President-elect Ebrahim Raisi is willing to pick up where the talks ended on June 20 or demands a fresh start.
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The US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Iran – which has said it will not resume talks until Raisi takes over – has been “very murky” about its intentions.
“If we are back in the JCPOA, then there’s no reason to sanction companies that are importing Iranian oil,” the official said, referring to the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action under which Iran curbed its nuclear programme in return for relief from economic sanctions.
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