China warns US not to disrupt Iran cooperation amid sanctions

China's Foreign Ministry on Tuesday urged the United States to halt efforts to disrupt Beijing's cooperation with Tehran, warning that Washington's sweeping new sanctions campaign against Iran risks destabilizing the global financial order and escalating regional tensions.

China's Warning

Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian told reporters in Beijing that Sino-Iranian cooperation operates within international legal frameworks and should remain unaffected by third-party interference. "China's cooperation with Iran is conducted within the framework of international law and should not be disrupted," he said, adding that unilateral economic pressure serves only to inflame existing conflicts.

Lin cautioned that the Treasury Department's "Operation Economic Outcast" — launched Monday by Secretary Scott Bessent to sever Iran's financial lifelines — threatens broader economic stability. "Economic wars and maximum pressure are not the solution," he stated, noting that such measures "will only lead to escalation and risks of spillover, which will disrupt the global economic and financial order and harm the legitimate interests of other countries."

US Sanctions Campaign

Bessent on Monday outlined Washington's intent to completely isolate Iran from global markets, declaring that the US is "no longer managing the Iranian threat" but rather "ending it." The US "objective is to sever every economic lifeline that sustains this tyrannical regime until Tehran stands alone," Bessent said, attributing America's capacity to wage financial warfare to the strength of its domestic economy.

Regarding Beijing's objections, Bessent emphasized that Washington prefers discreet engagement over public confrontation. "The best way to engage with countries is through quiet diplomacy," he told reporters, adding that the administration is currently "level setting" expectations with Chinese counterparts.

Economic Ties

China stands among the largest importers of Iranian crude oil, with the two nations maintaining what they describe as a "comprehensive strategic partnership" anchored in discounted energy supplies and non-oil trade. Bilateral commerce exceeded $41 billion last year, according to official figures, making Beijing a critical economic partner for sanctions-hit Tehran.

Lin said China "is closely monitoring the developments" and reiterated Beijing's "firm opposition to illicit, unilateral sanctions that have no basis in international law or the authorization of the UN Security Council," signaling potential retaliatory measures to safeguard Chinese interests.