China orders firms to ignore US Iran sanctions, daring US to enforce crackdown

China has ordered companies to disregard US sanctions targeting Iranian oil, forcing a direct test of Washington's ability to enforce its crackdown on Iran. The move represents a shift from years of opaque workarounds to more explicit state-backed resistance. China remains the primary destination for Iranian crude, with much of the country's sanctioned oil exports flowing to Chinese refiners despite mounting US pressure.