On Wednesday, June 25th, President Trump attended the NATO summit in The Hague, Netherlands and held a press conference. He expressed that Iran has a significant advantage due to its abundant oil resources and revealed his stance on China’s purchase of Iranian oil.
Trump stated that Iran has just experienced a war and needs to engage in oil business to obtain funds for rebuilding the country. When asked whether he would allow China to buy Iranian oil, Trump said, “They are doing oil business, meaning if I wanted to, I could stop it and sell our own oil to China, but I don’t want to do that. They (Iran) will need funds to rebuild their country. We want to see that happen,” Trump said.
“If they want to sell oil, then they sell oil. We will not take over the oil – you know, we could have done that,” Trump said. However, he also emphasized that he is not backing down on the pressure campaign against Iran.
“China wants to buy oil in the future. They can buy from us or from others,” he said.
Trump has been implementing a “maximum pressure” policy against Iran, aiming to force the regime to reach a nuclear agreement by cutting off Iran’s economic lifeline. To execute the “maximum pressure” policy, the US has imposed sanctions on Chinese refineries, port operators, and other companies importing Iranian crude oil.
CNN reported that Trump’s recent remarks on Iranian oil indicate his flexibility on Iranian oil sanctions.
The Wall Street Journal reported that President Trump stated he will not stop China from buying oil from Iran, suggesting that he may relax the US’ “maximum pressure” against Iran.
On Tuesday, Trump posted on his social media platform Truth Social, saying: “China can now continue to buy oil from Iran. Hopefully, they will also buy a lot from the US. I am honored to make this happen!”
A senior White House official clarified Tuesday evening that the President’s post does not announce the lifting of Iran-related sanctions.
“The President is just reminding everyone of a fact that due to his decisive actions, destroying Iranian nuclear facilities, and facilitating a ceasefire between Israel and Iran, the Strait of Hormuz will not be affected (indicating Iran will not close the strait), which would be devastating for China,” the White House official said.
They added, “The President continues to urge China and all countries to import our most advanced oil rather than importing Iranian oil in violation of US sanctions.”