The US government has sanctioned a major independent Chinese oil refinery and approximately 40 shipping companies and vessels involved in transporting Iranian oil. The Treasury Department identified the refinery as a major buyer of Iranian petroleum.
This move widens the crackdown on the secretive oil and chemical trade between Beijing and Tehran. It serves as a fulfillment of President Trump's threats to impose secondary sanctions on companies and countries that conduct business with Iran.
The administration is ramping up economic pressure on Tehran ahead of upcoming diplomatic talks and a scheduled Trump-Xi summit.