Lawmaker Calls for Keeping China Sanctioned for Iranian Oil Purchases
House Select Committee on China ranking member Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., urged the Trump administration Aug. 19 to continue sanctioning China for buying Iranian oil.
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In a letter to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Krishnamoorthi said he’s concerned the administration reportedly may be willing to ease the oil sanctions as part of its trade talks with China. His letter seeks answers to several questions by Aug. 28, including whether the U.S. has offered such concessions to Beijing.
An executive order President Donald Trump signed in 2018 and a national security memorandum he issued in February (see 2502040073) "both seek to neutralize Iran’s aggressive behavior by denying and disrupting the country’s access to financial and other resources that enable the regime’s destructive behavior," Krishnamoorthi wrote. "Sanctions on illegal activity that threaten the national security of the United States should not be compromised or traded away for leverage."
The Treasury and State departments had no immediate comment on the letter.
In a social media post in June, Trump said China could now buy Iranian oil despite U.S. sanctions, drawing criticism from congressional Democrats (see 2506260015). But a senior White House official said Trump was simply pointing out that after he brokered a ceasefire between Iran and Israel, Iran wouldn't be blocking the Strait of Hormuz, a major oil route (see 2506250006). The official said Chinese purchases of Iranian oil would remain subject to U.S. sanctions.