US sanctions China’s ‘teapot’ refinery for buying Iranian oil

US Treasury sanctions Chinese ‘teapot’ refinery Hengli for purchasing Iranian crude, alleging funds bolster Tehran’s military. | Contesto: cronaca

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• US sanctions China’s ‘teapot’ refinery for buying Iranian oil

Contesto

The United States has imposed sanctions on a Chinese independent refinery, known as a ‘teapot’ facility, for purchasing Iranian oil in violation of existing embargoes, the US Treasury Department announced Thursday. The Treasury alleged that the Hengli refinery, located in northeastern China, has generated hundreds of millions of dollars for Iran’s military through its crude purchases, directly supporting Tehran’s armed forces. The action targets one of China’s largest private refining operations, which processes about 400,000 barrels of oil per day. According to the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, the refinery engaged in transactions involving Iranian crude oil using a network of front companies and ship-to-ship transfers to disguise the origin of the shipments. This marks the first time Washington has sanctioned a Chinese ‘teapot’ refinery for such dealings, signaling a potential escalation in enforcement efforts. The sanctions freeze any US-held assets of the refinery and prohibit American citizens and companies from doing business with it. The Treasury’s statement emphasized that the revenue from these oil sales “provides a critical source of funding for the Iranian regime’s destabilizing activities, including its support for proxy groups and its military programs.” The designation also covers several vessels and entities involved in the transportation and financing of the crude. Hengli, which is privately held, is part of a broader group of independent Chinese refineries that have increasingly turned to Iranian crude, often sold at a discount due to sanctions. These refineries, nicknamed ‘teapots’ because of their smaller, simpler design compared to state-owned giants, account for roughly a third of China’s total refining capacity. The US move comes amid heightened tensions between Washington and Beijing over trade, technology, and geopolitical rivalries, though the Treasury framed the action as a targeted measure against sanctions evasion rather than a broader economic confrontation. Analysts note that the sanctions could disrupt Hengli’s operations and force other Chinese refiners to reconsider similar purchases, potentially tightening global...

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Categoria: cronaca