{
  "id": 13213438,
  "title": "Is China learning to live without Iranian oil?",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/09/is-china-learning-to-live-without-iranian-oil",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-10-09T21:00:49.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Hellenic Shipping News",
    "slug": "hellenic-shipping-news",
    "url": "https://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/is-china-learning-to-live-without-iranian-oil/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "China may be on the path to living without Iranian oil, as small independent refineries in the country are increasingly turning to supplies from Iraq and Qatar. This shift is driven by economic self-interest and the US blockade on Iranian crude oil. Reuters reported that Chinese refineries have signed deals for up to 20 million barrels of oil in October and November, benefiting Iraq, which has been struggling to export its oil, and hurting Iran under the US blockade. Iraq, China's largest oil customer before the war, has been seeking to dispose of its excess oil, while China is now turning to Iraq as a reliable source. The US blockade of Iranian ports and shipping began in April 2025 and was lifted in June, but was reinstated in July, leading to a significant reduction in Iranian oil shipments. The US Navy has redirected more than 140 compliant vessels and disabled nine non-compliant ships, while as many as 270 ships have been redirected since July. Chinese buyers are taking risks by purchasing discounted Iraqi oil and using US naval cover to transport it through the Strait of Hormuz, where the oil is transferred to Chinese vessels. Despite the US's attempts to dismantle the Chinese-Iranian oil trade, the shift to Iraqi oil is proving advantageous for Chinese refineries.",
  "summary": "In the cat-and-mouse game of US naval blockades and oil sanctions, small, fleet-footed independent refineries in China may be gifting Washington the economic leverage over Tehran that it has been struggling to achieve. It is not that China’s so-called teapot refineries are taking sides. Rather, it is pragmatic economic self-interest that is increasingly pushing the ...",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}