Illegal Iranian Oil Shipments to China Skyrocketed in 2021Illicit Iranian oil shipments jumped by 40 percent in 2021, with China and Syria the top importers of this heavily sanctioned crude, according to figures published by a watchdog group that highlight the Biden administration's lax enforcement of U.S. sanctions.
From 2020 to 2021—when the Biden administration began negotiations with Iran surrounding a revamped nuclear deal and began to unwind sanctions on the hardline regime—Iranian oil exports increased by 123 million barrels, or 40 percent, according to United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), which closely tracks Tehran's armada of illegal oil tankers.
China was by far the top importer, signaling a growing alliance between the two rogue regimes. Beijing took in a total of 310 million barrels of crude oil and gas condensates from January to September of last year, according to UANI. This number is larger than the total number of oil barrels sold to all other destinations in 2020 together and exceeds the same period in 2020 by nearly 100 million barrels. The United Arab Emirates, Syria, Venezuela, and Russia were the next largest importers of Iran's banned crude. All told, Iran exported 417,706,340 barrels of crude in 2021.
The steep rise in exports signals lax enforcement by the Biden administration of sanctions on Iran's oil sector, which remain in place as the United States negotiates with Tehran over a new version of the 2015 nuclear accord, experts say. These shipments also provided Iran with millions of dollars in revenue amid a massive cash crunch that has crippled the Iranian government and sparked several waves of protests across the country. This financial lifeline is likely to help fund Iran's regional terrorism enterprise, which includes support for Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthi rebel terrorists in Yemen.
"The 40 percent increase in Iran's oil exports is a result of the Biden administration's refusal to enforce sanctions," Claire Jungman, UANI's chief of staff, told the Washington Free Beacon. "This lack of enforcement is a form of sanctions relief and has led to an improvement in Iran's economic situation and diminished the leverage and credibility of the U.S. during negotiations."...........
https://freebeacon.com/national-security/illegal-iranian-oil-shipments-to-china-skyrocketed-in-2021/It's troubling that we were energy independent, thanks to Joe we have skyrocketing gas prices. Gee, Iran, China and Russia are all in play again....Let's Go Brandon!!
