Middle East live: China to 'firmly safeguard' its interests after US threatens Iran's trade partners

# Analysis The U.S. threat to sanction countries trading with Iran directly targets China's economic interests, as China is Iran's largest trading partner and a critical buyer of its oil exports. By publicly committing to "firmly safeguard" its interests, China signals it will not comply with American sanctions pressure—a stance that could manifest in continued oil purchases, financial workarounds, or retaliatory measures against U.S. companies. This escalation transforms the Iran dispute into a broader great-power competition, forcing other nations to choose between U.S. and Chinese economic ties while raising the risk of secondary sanctions that could destabilize global energy markets and financial systems. The confrontation reveals how Washington's maximum pressure strategy on Iran now hinges on its ability to isolate Iranian markets from China, a goal that appears increasingly difficult without triggering direct U.S.-China conflict.