Beijing (ANTARA) - The Chinese government has said that plans to\nimpose economic sanctions on Iran and countries with ties to Iran will\nonly worsen the conflict in the Middle East.<\/p>\n
\u201cSanctions and pressure tactics do not help in resolving problems.\nThey will only cause escalation that benefits no one,\u201d said Chinese\nForeign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian at a press conference in Beijing on\nMonday.<\/p>\n
In a post on Wednesday (19\/8) on Truth Social, US President Donald\nTrump announced the most devastating economic operation ever carried out\nagainst any country that provides vital assistance to Iran.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis will be Economic War and Isolation on an unprecedented scale,\u201d\nTrump said, calling the move \u201cECONOMIC D-DAY.\u201d<\/p>\n
Trump also asked his allies to support Washington\u2019s plan.<\/p>\n
\u201cChina calls on all parties to act rationally and with restraint, and\nto avoid any actions that could further escalate tensions or deal a blow\nto global economic growth and financial stability,\u201d Lin Jian added.<\/p>\n
Lin Jian urged both the US and Iran to return to the right path of\npolitical settlement through dialogue and negotiation as soon as\npossible.<\/p>\n
\u201cChina will closely monitor related developments and do what is\nnecessary to protect our legitimate rights and interests,\u201d Lin Jian\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Lin Jian also said that Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem\nGharibabadi met with Chinese Deputy Foreign Minister Miao Deyu in\nBeijing on 17 August 2026, although he did not elaborate on the\nmeeting.<\/p>\n
\u201cChina is closely following the situation in the Middle East and the\nGulf region and has actively committed to promoting peace talks. We are\nready to act in accordance with the spirit of the four proposals put\nforward by President Xi Jinping on maintaining and promoting peace and\nstability in the Middle East and to continue working to help restore\npeace and calm in the Middle East as soon as possible,\u201d Lin Jian\nadded.<\/p>\n
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Sunday (23\/8) that the US\nis entering an \u201cEconomic D-Day\u201d operation against Iran. The US\ngovernment, according to Bessent, will use every available resource to\nfurther isolate Iran economically and cut off sources of support for the\nIranian government.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe President (Trump) has created the conditions to use every\nagency, every authority, and actions that many people thought we would\nnever take. Our goal is to cut off every economic resource that sustains\nthis tyrannical regime until Iran stands alone,\u201d Bessent said.<\/p>\n
He also warned governments and other parties not to assume that the\nUS will not impose sanctions on those who oppose US policy towards\nIran.<\/p>\n
\u201cIran has survived by disguising extortion as security guarantees.\nThey derive strength from the calculation that Iranian retaliation is\ninevitable, while US enforcement actions are considered negotiable,\u201d he\nsaid.<\/p>\n
However, Bessent did not provide further details on specific economic\nmeasures or which agencies would be involved in the economic\noffensive.<\/p>\n
Washington and Tehran signed a memorandum of understanding on 18 June\n2026 calling for a cessation of hostilities and the restoration of\nshipping through the strait, and scheduled negotiations within 60 days,\nending on 17 August, to reach a final agreement.<\/p>\n
However, the agreement subsequently failed to be implemented due to\ndisputes over the terms of its application and the future of navigation\nin the waterway.<\/p>\n
The conflict began on 28 February 2026 when the US and Israel\nlaunched attacks on Iran. Tehran then responded by striking a number of\ntargets in Israel as well as US military bases in the region.<\/p>\n
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Sunday that Tehran is in\na \u201cfull-scale war\u201d and the government continues to work to overcome the\nvarious difficulties facing the country.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe enemy expected that if Iran fell, Iran would become Venezuela.\nNot only did that not happen, but Iran has become a power that amazes\nthe world through its resistance, solidarity and unity,\u201d Masoud\nPezeshkian said.<\/p>\n
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said the Iranian\ngovernment will use every means to counter economic pressure from the\nUS.<\/p>\n
\u201cIran will certainly use all its multilateral options to counter\nthese economic sanctions,\u201d Baghaei said.<\/p>\n
He added that Tehran had previously planned measures to deal with\nsuch a scenario, and said Iran has warned many countries that\ninvolvement in US actions, including a naval blockade, will have\nconsequences.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/china-says-us-sanctions-on-iran-will-only-worsen-conflict-1787590360", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }