US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed to step up economic pressure on Iran, particularly targeting its oil sales to China, Axios reported Saturday.
The report, citing two American officials briefed on the issue, said the agreement occurred when Trump and Netanyahu met on Wednesday at the White House.
“We agreed that we will go full force with maximum pressure against Iran, for example, regarding Iranian oil sales to China,” according to a senior US official.
But they differed on how to achieve that goal, with Netanyahu telling Trump that a reliable agreement with Iran is unattainable and would likely be violated, while Trump said he believes a deal is possible.
“We’ll see if it’s possible — let’s give it a shot,” Trump said, according to the US official.
American officials said Washington will pursue its maximum pressure campaign on Iran alongside nuclear negotiations and a continued military buildup in the Middle East to maintain the option of strikes if diplomatic efforts collapse.
With more than 80 percent of Iran’s oil exports going to China, any reduction in Chinese purchases would sharply intensify economic pressure on Tehran and could shift its calculations toward greater concessions on its nuclear programme.
Additionally, an executive order signed by Trump recently allows the US to intensify economic pressure on Iran, including provisions enabling the heads of state and commerce departments to recommend tariffs of up to 25 percent on countries that maintain trade ties with Tehran.
