Undeterred by sanctions. China is Iran's top oil destination and America is stepping in

The U.S. special envoy for Iran, Robert Malley, announced that his country intends to increase pressure on China to stop its oil imports from Tehran.

In an interview with Bloomberg TV on Tuesday, Malley added that China is the main destination for illicit exports of Iranian oil, and that negotiations to dissuade Beijing from buying Iranian oil will intensify.

Unified Western Resolution

He also noted the high volume of Iranian oil exports, saying: "No, we are not fine," he said: "Can we execute our sanctions perfectly? No. But we will do everything we can to make sure they are enforced."

This came after shipping analytics firm Vortexa Ltd. confirmed that Iran's exports rose to about 1.4 million barrels per day last month, the highest level in four years.

Malley denied that the United States, as some energy traders speculate, is happy to have Iranian oil on the global market as long as it helps keep prices under control, following speculation that the United States is welcoming a rise in Iranian oil exports to maintain prices in the current situation caused by the Ukrainian war.

In a series of tweets, the US special envoy for Iran emphasized that the US sanctions were coordinated with Washington's allies and partners, including Britain and the European Union, explaining that they are all united in condemning the Iranian regime's violation of human rights, government violence against women, and Internet censorship.

Many to China

It is noteworthy that the United States withdrew about five years ago from the nuclear deal, and tightened sanctions on Tehran and its oil exports, in a move aimed at containing its nuclear program, in response to Iran's intensification of uranium enrichment.

While Iran's shipments of crude oil and refined products have risen in recent months, much of the oil appears to be heading to China, the world's largest importer, where sanctions are circumvented and the source is misrepresented as coming from Malaysia.

(Source: Al-Arabiya)