It’s the primary time the USA has sanctioned what is known as a ’teapot refinery,’ which primarily buys oil from Iran.
The Trump administration introduced on March 20 that it has sanctioned entities it says are tied to the petroleum commerce between Iran and China.
“These sanctions are being imposed pursuant to President [Donald] Trump’s most strain marketing campaign to drive Iran’s oil exports, together with to China, to zero,” State Division spokesperson Tammy Bruce mentioned in a press release.
“China is by far the biggest importer of Iranian oil. The Iranian regime makes use of the income it generates from these gross sales to finance assaults on U.S. allies, help terrorism around the globe, and pursue different destabilizing actions.”
In the meantime, the Treasury Division sanctioned Shandong Shouguang Luqing Petrochemical Co.
The oil refinery in China has allegedly purchased and refined “tons of of hundreds of thousands of {dollars}’ price of Iranian crude oil” from vessels tied to the Houthis, a terrorist group, and the Iranian Ministry of Protection of Armed Forces Logistics, which is sanctioned by the USA.
The corporate’s chief government officer, Wang Xueqing, was additionally sanctioned.
That is the primary time the USA has sanctioned what is known as a “teapot refinery,” which primarily buys oil from Iran.
“The USA is dedicated to chopping off the income streams that allow Tehran’s continued financing of terrorism and growth of its nuclear program.”
The Treasury Division additionally imposed sanctions on 19 different entities tied to petroleum gross sales between Iran and China.
Firms below sanctions can have their belongings in the USA frozen.