WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed during a meeting at the White House that the United States would work to reduce Iran’s oil exports to China as part of efforts to intensify pressure on Tehran, a media report said.
According to Axios, citing two US officials briefed on the matter, both leaders discussed steps to curb Iranian oil sales, particularly shipments destined for China.
“We agreed that we will go full force with maximum pressure against Iran, for example, regarding Iranian oil sales to China,” the report quoted a senior US official as saying.
Responding to the report, China’s foreign ministry said on Sunday that normal cooperation between countries conducted within the framework of international law was legitimate and should be respected and protected.
China currently accounts for more than 80 per cent of Iran’s oil exports, and any reduction in the trade could significantly impact Tehran’s revenue.
Meanwhile, US and Iranian diplomats held talks on Iran’s nuclear programme through Omani mediators last week in an attempt to revive diplomacy, amid heightened regional tensions.
The diplomatic efforts come after the US administration positioned naval assets in the region as American forces prepare for the possibility of sustained military operations involving Iran.