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Iran bolsters ties with China and Venezuela despite US sanctions

Iranian oil exports to China are on the rise, and the Islamic Republic’s relations with Venezuela are moving beyond energy matters, as the South American country recently received 1,000 vehicles from the Iranian automobile firm Saipa.
An oil tanker unloads imported crude oil at Qingdao port in China's eastern Shandong province on May 9, 2022.  (Photo by STR/AFP via Getty Images)

Iran is strengthening its relations with China and Venezuela in defiance of US sanctions. A senior Biden administration official said on Monday that Washington intend to press Beijing on the issue. 

Bloomberg reported last week that Iran’s oil exports to China reached 1.3 million barrels a day in November. This was close to a four-year high, according to the outlet. 

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