In significant policy shift, Trump says China can keep buying oil from Iran
US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that China can keep buying oil from Iran, marking a significant shift from his so-called maximum pressure campaign.
His remarks came hours after the Israeli regime was forced to halt its aggression against the Islamic Republic as Trump showed reluctance in further American involvement in the war.
Trump claimed in a social media post that he had worked out a “ceasefire” between Iran and Israel 12 days after Israel launched an unprovoked war on Iran, prompting a powerful Iranian response that inflicted heavy blows on the regime and its military infrastructure.
“China can now continue to purchase Oil from Iran,” Trump said in a post on his social media platform, Truth Social.
“Hopefully, they will be purchasing plenty from the US, also. It was my Great Honor to make this happen!” he added.
The development came more than a month after Trump warned China that it would face harsh penalties if it continued to buy oil from Iran.
The US president had signed a presidential memorandum on February 4 ordering a campaign of maximum pressure on Iran.
The US Treasury has imposed several rounds of sanctions on Chinese companies and tankers that it says have been involved in the Iranian oil trade.
China accounts for a bulk of oil purchases from Iran as estimates suggest that private refiners in the country receive an average of more than 1.5 million barrels per day of oil from Iranian suppliers.
Beijing has repeatedly indicated that it does not recognize unilateral sanctions imposed by the US on other countries.
Trump's latest announcement on Iranian oil also comes amid concerns that his sanctions on Chinese imports of oil from Iran could push up international oil prices and lead to consumer dissatisfaction inside the US.
Trump used the Israeli war against Iran to order airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities early on Sunday. Iran responded by firing missiles at a key US air base in Qatar late on Monday.
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