US Sanctions Chinese Refinery for Iranian Oil Purchases Amid Tensions
The Trump administration has imposed sanctions on Hengli Petrochemical (Dalian) Refinery, a Chinese 'teapot' refinery, for purchasing Iranian oil. The sanctions are part of a broader effort to pressure Iran amid ongoing peace talks. The U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control also targeted approximately 40 shipping companies and vessels involved in Iran's oil trade. China has criticized the sanctions, calling them 'illegal' and urging the U.S. to cease using sanctions as a tool against Chinese companies. The sanctions freeze U.S. assets of designated entities and prohibit Americans from engaging in business with them. 
