Trump Says China Can Buy Iranian Oil; State Department Mum on Status of Sanctions
President Donald Trump appeared to signal June 24 that the U.S. no longer will sanction China for purchases of Iranian oil.
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"China can now continue to purchase Oil from Iran. Hopefully, they will be purchasing plenty from the U.S., also. It was my Great Honor to make this happen!" Trump said on Truth Social.
The post came after Trump announced on social media that Iran and Israel agreed to a ceasefire following 12 days of fighting, adding that both nations "will see tremendous LOVE, PEACE, AND PROSPERITY in their futures." The Treasury Department over the last several months has sanctioned a range of companies, vessels, business owners and oil refineries for buying or moving Iranian oil, including many based in China (see 2505130077. 2504160004 and 2503200014).
Asked whether Trump's statement means the U.S. will reverse existing sanctions against purchasers of Iranian oil or whether the administration will issue sanctions waivers, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce suggested she didn't know. She said those are "all very good questions" and it's a "very fast-moving environment."
"The president has signaled what he expects, what he is looking forward to. This is a Cabinet and a government that acts to the nature of what he says and what he wants. And in this case, of course, I'm not going to discuss what that process will be, the nature of any of the applications via the various departments in this government," Bruce said during a June 24 press conference. "But clearly we are focused on making sure that that guiding hand of President Trump prevails and moves this government forward. So we will have to wait and see when it comes to what that ends up looking like."
Asked again whether the U.S. is lifting sanctions on Iranian oil, Bruce said, "I'm not going to get ahead of the president or try to guess at what his strategy will be." She said that "sometimes you don't hear ahead of time about the trajectory of a president. With President Trump, he speaks honestly with us. So I would suggest to not translate, to not speculate or guess, but to watch, because things happen quickly, and I think we'll find out sooner than later."
Trump in February issued a national security memorandum ordering U.S. agencies to pursue a “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran, including through sanctions, to stop the country from developing nuclear weapons and supporting terrorism (see 2502040073). Spokespeople for the White House and Treasury didn't respond to requests for comment.