Kathmandu – In a significant shift in US foreign policy, President Donald Trump has granted China permission to continue purchasing crude oil from Iran. This marks a reversal from Washington’s previous stance, which strictly opposed any country buying Iranian oil.
Previously, China had been secretly importing Iranian oil despite US sanctions. However, following the recent ceasefire agreement between Israel and Iran, Trump announced on Tuesday that China could legally resume its oil imports from Iran.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump stated, “China can now continue buying oil from Iran. It is also expected that they will purchase large amounts of oil from the United States.”
Despite this policy change, the White House clarified that overall US sanctions on Iran remain in effect. A senior White House official told Reuters that Iran has made no recent attempts to close the strategic Strait of Hormuz to oil tankers—an action that would have impacted China’s oil shipments.
China remains the world’s largest importer of Iranian oil.
This development marks a clear departure from Trump’s previous “maximum pressure” campaign on Iran, which sought to halt its nuclear program and prevent its support for proxy groups across the Middle East. In February, Trump had threatened to tighten sanctions further.
Trump’s earlier policy had led to penalties on several small Chinese independent oil refineries and port terminal operators found purchasing Iranian crude.
While sanctions targeting Iran’s broader economy and nuclear activities remain, the decision to allow Chinese oil imports from Iran signals a notable recalibration in US strategy, balancing geopolitical considerations following the Israel-Iran ceasefire.
