Trump and Netanyahu agree to pressure Iran over oil exports to China

Trump and Netanyahu team up to squeeze Iran’s oil revenues. Economic pressure becomes the new front in US-Iran tensions.

In a rare moment of cooperation between the U.S. and Israel, whispers circulate that U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met this week and agreed that the U.S. should pressure Iran more on the oil sales front to China. This was reported by Axios on Saturday, citing officials who know the talks well.

The meeting at the White House on Wednesday was particularly focused on using economic pressure to reduce Iran’s influence in the region. “We agreed to go all-in with maximal pressure against Iran, including how Iranian oil is sold to China,” a senior U.S. official was quoted by Axios as saying.

Iran sells more than 80% of its oil to China, which is the lifeline for the Iranian economy under heavy sanctions. Messing that up for Iran could weaken the country’s financial position and potentially disrupt the broader strategy of the country.

However, China was not immediately available for comment on Sunday, which was the beginning of the Lunar New Year holiday.

This comes at a time when there are ongoing tense nuclear negotiations between the U.S. and Iran, with the two sides engaging in negotiations mediated by Oman to revive talks on Iran’s nuclear program. The U.S., on the other hand, has deployed a flotilla in the Persian Gulf, indicating its willingness to stay there for a longer period.

According to various analysts, the Trump-Netanyahu axis represents a union between two leaders who have taken a tough stance on Iran. Analysts say that by employing China’s role in the oil market, the U.S. and its allies may be able to pressure Iran indirectly without engaging in a direct military conflict. “If Iran loses its main oil outlet, the blow to its economy may prompt it to return to the negotiating table,” said an international relations expert who is familiar with the negotiations.

In the coming weeks, it will be interesting to see whether this new policy will be successful in its objective to pressure Iran to return to negotiations. China being Iran’s biggest trade partner, the success of this policy will depend on China’s reaction to the situation.

Currently, the new policy adopted by the White House and Israel represents a new effort to reconfigure the Middle East diplomatic landscape by relying on economic clout, a move that will have far-reaching implications.