The United States has reached out to China diplomatically about reducing its purchases of Iranian crude oil, US and European officials said on Tuesday.

Purchases of Iranian oil by Chinese companies are believed to have helped keep Iran’s economy afloat despite US sanctions that are designed to choke off such sales to put pressure on Iran to curb its nuclear program.

“We are aware of the purchases that Chinese companies are making of Iranian oil,” said a senior US official who spoke on condition of anonymity, Reuters news agency reported.

“We have used our sanctions authorities to respond to Iranian sanctions evasion, including those doing business with China, and will continue to do so if necessary,” he added.

“However, we have been approaching this diplomatically with the Chinese as part of our dialogue on Iran policy and think that, in general, this is a more effective path forward to address our concerns,” the official said.

Iran’s new president, Ebrahim Raisi, is attempting to increase ties with China. Earlier this month, members of the China and Russia-led Shanghai Cooperation Organization endorsed Iran’s future membership of the bloc.

The organization aims to be a counterweight to Western influence in the region and Raisi praised the opportunity that membership would provide for Iran with access to key markets.

Source: Agencies