U.S. Sanctions China-based oil refinery and 40 shippers over Iranian oil The United States Treasury Department announced recent sanctions on a Chinese oil refinery and dozens of shipping firms and vessels, including those with ties to Hong Kong, in a bid to disrupt Iran’s oil export network. The action targets entities accused of facilitating the purchase and transport of Iranian oil, which remains subject to U.S. Sanctions despite ongoing diplomatic efforts. U.S. Intelligence indicates that China is preparing to deliver new air defense systems to Iran within the next few weeks, according to three people familiar with recent intelligence assessments. The systems Beijing is preparing to transfer are shoulder-fired anti-air missile systems known as MANPADs, which posed an asymmetric threat to low-flying U.S. Military aircraft throughout the course of the five-week war and could again if the ceasefire falls apart. Days after the U.S.-Israel led war with Iran kicked off last month, American intelligence agencies detected signs that the war risked widening beyond the immediate battlefield as Russia and China sought to support Iran to blunt U.S.-Israeli military operations. Analysts at the Defense Intelligence Agency assessed that China was weighing whether to provide Tehran with advanced radar systems, according to multiple U.S. Officials familiar with the matter. The technology would enhance Iran’s ability to detect and track incoming threats, like low-flying drones and cruise missiles. A spokesperson for China’s embassy in Washington said the use of the sanctions “undermines international trade order and rules, disrupts normal economic and trade exchanges and infringes upon the legitimate rights and interests of …” China has consistently maintained that it fulfills its international obligations as a responsible major country. President Donald Trump is also set to visit China early next month for talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Asked by CNN on Saturday about the US intelligence and whether he has spoken to Xi about the issue, Trump indicated that Beijing would face consequences if it sent weapons to Tehran. “If China does that, China will have big problems, OK?” he said as he left the White House for Florida. Trump did not say whether he has spoken to Xi. A spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington said, “China has never provided weapons to any party to the conflict; the information in question is untrue.” “As a responsible major country, China consistently fulfills its international obligations. We urge the U.S….”
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