China responded on Friday to US President Donald Trump’s threat of an “economic D-Day” against Iran, saying that sanctions do not “fit the interest of any party.”
On Wednesday, Trump vowed to impose “tremendous economic consequences” against countries that continue to do business with Tehran, with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent later urging Beijing to “get with the program.”
China believes that “sanctions and pressure tactics are not the solution,” Lin Jian, China’s foreign ministry spokesperson, said in a news briefing on Friday. Lin urged the relevant parties to solve the dispute through negotiation and dialogue, and come to a political settlement.
Beijing is a source of crucial economic support for Iran but has walked a cautious diplomatic line amid the US-Iran war, keeping communications open with players on both sides. As for the leverage the US could wield over China however, Trump has increasingly limited options.
Alongside China, Iran has also condemned what it called Trump’s “unlawful” threat of an elevated economic campaign against Tehran.
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the country’s parliament speaker, said today that Tehran is prepared to “sacrifice our wealth” to defend the country’s “dignity and honor,” according to Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency. He added that “we must plan for unjust sanctions so that we can overcome them.”
