China says opposes 'illegal unilateral sanctions' as US pressures Iran with secondary sanctions

China on Tuesday said it is against “illegal unilateral sanctions” as Washington moves to impose sweeping secondary sanctions targeting Iran’s commercial aviation network.

“China consistently opposes illegal unilateral sanctions that lack a basis in international law and are not authorized by the UN Security Council,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said, responding to the latest US measures against Tehran.

Beijing has repeatedly opposed US sanctions on Iran and what it calls Washington’s “long-arm jurisdiction.”

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Monday that operations of Iranian commercial airlines worldwide would effectively be halted beginning Wednesday under the sanctions campaign.

“On September 23rd, all the Iranian airlines will be shut down around the world,” Bessent told CNBC on Monday.

He warned that foreign airports and companies providing Iranian aircraft with fuel, landing services or ticketing could lose access to the US banking system and dollar clearing.

Bessent said Washington had also discussed enforcement with China, adding that Chinese financial authorities, including People's Bank of China Governor Pan Gongsheng, were “very engaged in the process.”

He said Washington had identified financial intermediaries helping Tehran evade restrictions and would target them as part of its pressure campaign.

The measures come under Washington's Operation Economic Fury as the Iran war, which began with coordinated US-Israeli strikes in late February, enters its seventh month.