Reuters: US in talks with China to reduce oil purchases from Iran

A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters that the US was in talks with China to reduce its oil purchases from Iran, while a European official confirmed that he was present during Wendy Sherman's visit to China for the talks.

A US government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters that the United States is in diplomatic talks with China to reduce its oil purchases from Iran, as the US tries to bring Tehran back to the negotiating table to return to the nuclear deal.

According to the American official, China's purchase of Iranian oil allows the Islamic Republic to keep its economy afloat despite US sanctions, while the aim of these sanctions is to pressure Iran to return to the negotiating table.

The US government official told Reuters: “We are aware of the purchase of Iranian oil by Chinese companies… We are using our sanctions authority to address the circumvention of Iran sanctions, including those doing business with China, and we will continue to do so if necessary.”

He went on to clarify that this approach is a continuation of diplomacy with China as part of the US talks on Iran, adding: "Although we think that overall this method is more effective in addressing our concerns."

Meanwhile, a European official told Reuters that he was present when U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman visited China in late July. The European official, who asked not to be named, said that China is protecting Iran and that the West's question now is how much oil Beijing is buying from Tehran.

The US State Department did not respond to Reuters' question on this matter.

Commodity analysis firm Kepler estimates that China's purchases of Iranian oil reached 553,000 barrels per day in August.

Efforts to resume Vienna talks

At the same time, the US is also indirectly trying to return to the JCPOA. Negotiations on this issue began in April between Iran and the UK, Germany, France, Russia and China, with the indirect presence of the US, in Vienna, and were suspended after six rounds in June, on the eve of the Iranian presidential election.

A French diplomat told reporters on Tuesday, September 28, that Iran should return to the Vienna talks as soon as possible. “We need to remain in close and intensive contact at this stage with all the parties to the JCPOA, including Russia and China,” the French official stressed.

"In particular, we expect China to make its position clearer and act more decisively," the French diplomat said. "We need to put more pressure on Iran, and this is essential."

It is not yet clear to what extent China will be involved in potential US diplomatic actions regarding Iran.

A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman placed more responsibility on the US than on Iran in a press release on September 24. The text of his remarks released by the Chinese Foreign Ministry reads: “The US, as the initiator of the new round of tensions over Iran’s nuclear program, should correct its wrong policy of maximum pressure on Iran, lift all illegal sanctions against Iran […] and focus on continuing negotiations and achieving a result in a short period of time.”

Source: DW