The US on Monday ramped up pressure on China over the Iran war, setting up a showdown between the superpowers days before President Donald Trump’s planned visit to Beijing.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Beijing’s purchases of Iranian crude amount to funding terrorism, after China told its companies to ignore American sanctions targeting private Chinese “teapot” refineries that purchase billions of dollars of Tehran’s oil.
Bessent also called on China to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Both the US and China have been on the hunt for leverage ahead of their leaders’ summit, with Beijing viewing the Iran war as “having potentially strengthened its negotiating position,” CNN reported.