China, Iran begin implementation of sweeping strategic agreement

Few details of the secretive deal have been published, but the New York Times reported in 2020 that it would secure a regular supply of oil for China, citing a draft of the agreement leaked to the paper. China is Iran’s leading trade partner and was one of the biggest buyers of the country’s oil before then-US president Donald Trump reimposed sweeping unilateral sanctions in 2018. China has officially stopped importing oil from Iran, but analysts say Iranian crude is continuing to enter the country disguised as imports from other countries. Wang told his Iranian counterpart Friday that China would…