Iran-Krieg: USA verschonen China bei Iran-Sanktionen

Die USA have largely spared China from their recent secondary sanctions against companies doing business with Iran. Despite issuing stern warnings, they avoided the harshest possible measures, such as targeting Chinese financial institutions and oil refineries suspected of supporting Iran's oil trade. Only a few smaller Chinese entities and individuals were affected.

Beijing's Foreign Ministry responded with restraint, criticizing unilateral sanctions and threatening countermeasures without specifying any concrete actions. China's cooperation with Iran has always been within the framework of international law and should not be hampered or undermined, according to a Chinese spokesperson. Chinese authorities will closely monitor the situation and take "all necessary measures to protect its own interests," a spokesperson added.

The lack of a clash between the US and China meetings is evidence that both sides want to avoid endangering the planned September 24th meeting in the US between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump. The date has not been officially confirmed by China yet. The US Treasury Department announced new sanctions on nearly 60 companies, individuals, and vessels on the night of Tuesday, aimed at forcing Iran to relent in blocking the vital trade route since the US and Israeli attacks in February.

President Xi Jinping had called for a negotiation solution to the Iran war during a meeting with Jordanian King Abdullah II in Beijing on Monday, emphasizing the respect for the region's states' sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity, and the restoration of normal shipping through the strait. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced the start of "Operation Economic Excrement," targeting any economic lifeline supporting the "tyrannical regime" until Iran stands alone.

Countries continuing trade with Iran risk being excluded from the dollar-based financial system, Bessent explained, giving countries time to adjust to the new rules. The US has increased pressure on Iran, with President Trump speaking of an upcoming "D-Day" and "the most devastating economic operation ever" against a country. The focus of the attention was on China, the largest importer of sanctioned Iranian oil before the Iran war, making it one of the biggest financiers of the Tehran regime.

Consequently, sanctions were now imposed on only two procurement networks helping Iran obtain sensitive goods, including a Hong Kong-based company Sweet Ocean Industrial that acted as a broker for laser equipment for the Malek-Ashtar University of Technology in Iran. Also sanctioned were companies Feili, Minvur, Feisu, and Guska, which allegedly paid thousands of dollars to Sweet Ocean and the network to finance the procurement.

The firms were "briefcase companies that enable payments for Iran's secret 'shadow bank' networks," according to the US Treasury statement. Another network connected to a Hong Kong office of Iranian defense and innovation organization SPND, suspected of developing nuclear weapons, was sanctioned, targeting the Hong Kong CEO and associated companies.