Guo Jiakun told a regular press briefing in Beijing on Friday that China will protect its energy security amid mounting US sanctions targeting Iran’s oil trade with Chinese refineries.

"China has consistently and resolutely opposed illegal unilateral sanctions that lack any basis in international law and authorization from the United Nations Security Council. We urge the United States to abandon its erroneous practice of resorting to sanctions at the drop of a hat,” Guo said.

“It is entirely legitimate and reasonable for countries to engage in normal cooperation with Iran within the framework of international law. China will take necessary measures to safeguard its energy security as well as the lawful rights and interests of its enterprises and citizens."

The spokesman also called on the United States to stop resorting to sanctions against the Islamic Republic after the administration of President Donald Trump imposed on Thursday sweeping ban on about 100 individuals, entities and vessels, including a Chinese independent refinery and terminal, that helped Iran’s oil and petrochemicals trade.

Among those targeted was Shandong Jincheng Petrochemical Group Co., a China-based refinery that the Treasury Department claimed to have purchased millions of barrels of Iranian oil since 2023.

Thursday’s actions are the Treasury’s fourth set of sanctions against China-based refineries since Trump’s return to office in January, adding to the hundreds of people, firms and ships punished for their links to Iran as part of his administration’s so-called “maximum pressure” campaign.

The new flurry of sanctions comes less than two weeks after the UN announced the invocation of the “snapback” mechanism — under the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) — against Tehran over its peaceful nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

The JCPOA required Iran to scale back some of its nuclear activities in return for sanctions relief.

However, the US ditched the deal in 2018 before returning the illegal sanctions that it had lifted against Iran and launching the so-called “maximum pressure” campaign.

Following the US withdrawal, the European signatories to the JCPOA failed to uphold their commitments and made no efforts to save the agreement.