China Slams US Sanctions on Iranian Airlines as Illegal — SkimNews
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- China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun declared on Sept 22 that Beijing "consistently opposes illegal unilateral sanctions that lack a basis in international law or authorisation from the UN Security Council," targeting US penalties on Iranian airlines.
- Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNBC that "all the Iranian airlines will be shut down around the world" within days, warning that any entity providing fuel, landing services, or ticket sales to them would be "knocked out of the dollar system."
- The US Treasury imposed sanctions in September on "all remaining Iranian airlines" not previously penalized, including firms based outside Iran that support Tehran's aviation sector.
- Bessent met Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng for economic talks the day before his interview, laying the groundwork for the Trump–Xi summit beginning Sept 24.
- Bessent previously vowed the US would declare "economic D-Day" on Iran and pledged to choke off Tehran financially as part of the Trump administration's pressure campaign.
Why it matters: China's public rebuke puts Beijing on the record defending Iran just two days before Trump's summit with Xi, giving the Chinese leader leverage to frame US sanctions as illegitimate. The secondary-order risk is real: Bessent's dollar-system threat means any Chinese airline, airport, or intermediary that touches Iranian carriers faces cutoff from US financial plumbing.
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