US Sanction Relief For Tehran? Trump Says China Can Keep Buying Iranian Oil

Last Updated:June 24, 2025, 20:05 IST

Trump made this comment in a post on his Truth Social platform while travelling to a NATO summit in The Hague.

US President Donald Trump, left, shakes hands with China's President Xi Jinping. (AP file photo)

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said that China can continue buying oil from Iran, in what appears to be a potential easing of sanctions imposed by Washington for Tehran.

Trump made this comment in a post on his Truth Social platform while travelling to a NATO summit in The Hague.

“China can now continue to purchase Oil from Iran. Hopefully, they will be purchasing plenty from the U.S., also. It was my Great Honor to make this happen!" Trump wrote in a post on his Truth Social platform while travelling to a NATO summit in The Hague.

Trump did not offer any further details or clarification about the context of his comment. So far, neither China nor Iran has officially responded to his remarks.

The statement came shortly after Trump declared that a ceasefire between Iran and Israel was in effect. This followed heightened tensions in the region, including an Iranian missile strike on a US base in Qatar, reportedly in response to earlier American attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities.

China is Iran’s largest oil customer and plays a vital role in keeping Iran’s oil sector afloat amid sanctions. According to energy analytics firm Kpler, China buys more than 90% of Iran’s oil exports. In April, it imported about 1.3 million barrels of Iranian crude oil per day, slightly down from a five-month high recorded in March.

On May, the US had imposed new sanctions last month targeting Iranian oil shipments to China, as part of Trump’s continued “maximum pressure" campaign against Tehran.

China has strongly criticised the US airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites and urged all parties in the region — “especially Israel" — to reduce tensions. However, analysts say that the ongoing war between Iran and Israel, on hold for now, has significantly weakened China’s influence in the region.

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