China's Foreign Ministry called the latest US measures against Iran illicit unilateral sanctions that have no basis in international law.
Posted by Up First from NPR, Checked
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Up First from NPRAug 25, 2026
China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian's August 25, 2026 press conference transcript uses the exact wording 'illicit unilateral sanctions that have no basis in international law' in response to the new US Iran sanctions. BBC and DW report the same position in 'illegal unilateral sanctions' wording, so the substance matches the claim.
What was said
… During this war, Pakistan also opened more land routes for non-sanctioned goods from other countries to enter Iran. But the most consequential country here is China, which is the biggest importer and buyer of Iranian oil. China's Foreign Ministry today slammed the White House's latest measures against Iran, calling them quote illicit unilateral sanctions that have no basis in international law. China says economic wars only escalate the conflict and disrupt global financial order, and says it isn't gonna cut off Iran. China has had to dig into its oil reserves to weather the fallout from this war, as the biggest buyer of both Iranian and Saudi oil. …
Up First from NPR · · from the transcriptPost →What we found
Supports. The official Chinese Foreign Ministry transcript of Lin Jian's August 25, 2026 press conference states China 'has made clear... its firm opposition to illicit unilateral sanctions that have no basis in international law' in response to the new US measures on Iran.[3]
Supports. BBC reports that Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said China was firmly opposed to 'illegal unilateral sanctions' after Bessent announced the new Iran sanctions measures on Monday.[2]
Supports. Reuters reports China's foreign ministry responded on August 24 to the planned US Iran sanctions, and DW reports Lin Jian's August 25 statement that China 'firmly opposes illegal unilateral sanctions.'[1][4]
Context. The wording 'illegal' versus 'illicit' is a minor translation difference; the 'no basis in international law' element appears verbatim in the official transcript. The NPR-sourced passage repeating the claim is not independent corroboration.[5]
Sources
5 sources: 1 fact-checker, 1 tier 1, 3 not rated
- 1China vows to protect its rights as US readies Iran sanction | Reutersreuters.com · fact-checker · cited for: supports
- 2China hits out at 'illegal' new US sanctions on Iran and ...bbc.com · tier 1 · cited for: supports
- 3Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian’s Regular Press Conference on August 25, 2026fmprc.gov.cn · not rated · cited for: supports
- 4Middle East: Iran vows response to fresh US sanctions - DW.comdw.com · not rated · cited for: supports
- 5Trump urges world leaders to isolate Iranboisestatepublicradio.org · not rated · cited for: context
Where this claim was made
Said in 1 published post
Related claims
- China continues to buy the bulk of Iranian oil.True
- The Trump administration issued new sectoral sanctions targeting five sectors of the Iranian economy: digital assets, technology, gold, aviation, and shipping.True
- The U.S. Treasury's Office of Foreign Asset Control is sanctioning over 60 entities, individuals, and vessels involved in Iranian nuclear, missile, cyber, and oil activities.True