China warns it will safeguard its interests after US widens sanctions against Iran

What the report says

China said it will defend its interests after the United States announced plans to expand economic sanctions on Iran and on entities trading with Tehran, according to BBC World News. A Chinese foreign ministry spokesman, Lin Jian, rejected the measures as unlawful unilateral sanctions and said Beijing would take necessary steps to protect its rights and interests.

The US announcement, made by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, warned that countries and businesses that keep financially dealing with Iran could face isolation. He said the new action was intended to intensify pressure on Iranian revenue sources, and he suggested President Donald Trump would press world leaders to cut ties with Tehran. Bessent also said no one was beyond the reach of US sanctions.

BBC said China is Iran’s largest oil buyer, though that trade has fallen amid the US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Beijing argued that its cooperation with Iran follows international law and should not be disrupted. The timing matters because the move comes before expected talks between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping next month, adding another source of tension to an already strained US-China relationship.

Iran also signaled it was prepared for broader sanctions, with Economy Minister Ali Madanizadeh saying the government had a plan to manage the pressure, BBC reported.