China rejects 'illegal' sanctions after US threatens Iran's economic partners

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian speaks during a press conference in Beijing Alamy Stock Photo Scott Bessent China buys more than 80% of Iran’s oil exports. LAST UPDATE | 15 mins ago CHINA HAS RESPONDED to the US threat to sanction countries that have economic ties to Iran, saying it is opposed to “illegal unilateral sanctions”. On Monday, US Treasury secretary Scott Bessent laid out plans for the “economic asphyxiation” of Iran, expanding Washington’s secondary sanctions threats and warning of dire consequences for countries that do not join the campaign. Iran has already been under US sanctions for decades and the Trump administration has been grasping to find more leverage over the Islamic Republic since it launched a war against the country alongside Israel almost six months