The US administration has placed 19 companies and ships on the sanctions list for buying and processing crude oil from Iran, as well as transporting Iranian oil, concerning a China-based refinery and its senior executives. According to a statement from the US Treasury Department, a network supporting Iran’s oil exports has been sanctioned. The statement mentioned that a China-based “teapot” petroleum refinery that buys and processes billions of dollars worth of crude oil from Iran, along with its senior executive, has been added to the sanctions list. The statement highlighted that the refinery, referred to as “teapot” due to its small scale and independence, receives oil from certain “shadow fleet” ships associated with the Houthis and the Iranian Ministry of Defense, transporting Iranian oil, and that 19 companies and ships transporting Iranian oil to “teapot” refineries have also been added to the sanctions list. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, whose views were included in the statement, emphasized that the purchase of Iranian oil by “teapot” refineries constitutes a major economic lifeline for the regime. Bessent stated, “The US is determined to cut off revenue streams that enable Tehran to continue financing terrorism and advancing its nuclear program.” The US Department of State also imposed sanctions on a petroleum terminal in China for purchasing and storing Iranian crude oil from a ship on the sanctions list.