Who to believe? Having contended with conflicting reports about whether the U.S. did indeed obliterate much of Iran’s enrichment-of-uranium-for-bomb production after bombing several Iranian nuclear facilities, we must now wonder whether U.S. sanctions on Iranian oil remain in place with respect to China. It’s president of the United States versus senior White House official (Bloomberg, June 25, 2025).
President Donald Trump on Tuesday appeared to undermine years of US sanctions on Iran, giving its biggest customer China the green light to carry on buying its oil as he seeks to bolster a ceasefire with Israel.
The announcement on social media—which surprised both oil traders and officials in his own government—could undermine the central element of Washington’s Iran policy under multiple administrations, which have sought to cut the regime’s main source of revenue by making its top export off limits.
“China can now continue to purchase oil from Iran,” the president said on Truth Social, amid a flurry of posts demanding Israel and Iran cease hostilities.
A spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Guo Jiakun, responded with a bland affirmation that China would “take reasonable energy security measures in accordance with its own national interests.” From this we may conclude that the Chinese government is not yet dismantling itself and turning China over the United States.
An unnamed “senior White House official” eventually said that sanctions on Iran are still in effect and that nobody should import Iranian oil. “The official added that Trump’s post was only intended to highlight that his actions over the past several days ensured that the Strait of Hormuz was not impacted, which the official said would have been devastating for China.”
Maybe Donald Trump should amend his blurt-and-send approach to social media.
