WSJ reported on the rescue of Iran's economy by Chinese companies

Chinese private oil refineries have become a key source of income for Iran, ensuring the sale of oil bypassing US sanctions. This was reported on May 1 by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ).

"It is the independent refineries that keep the Iranian regime afloat," said Daniel Roth, director of research at UANI.

The United States is increasing pressure on this scheme by imposing sanctions on Chinese refiners and related shipping companies. We are talking about the so—called "samovars" - private refineries that buy up almost all of Iran's oil exports and allow Beijing to circumvent restrictions without formally involving state corporations.

Despite the sanctions, trade volumes are growing. For example, in 2025, Iran accounted for about 12% of Chinese oil imports. Experts note that a large-scale parallel market has formed, and it will be extremely difficult to completely block it, even with increased pressure from Washington.

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Also on May 1, the WSJ newspaper reported that the US blockade effectively deprived Iran of the opportunity to export oil and increased the risk of an economic crisis in the country. The US Navy has cut off supplies from all Iranian ports, halting a network of "shadow" tankers that previously allowed it to circumvent sanctions and supply oil to China.