Marco Rubio Imposes Sanctions on Chinese Entities Accused of Supplying Iran Satellite Imagery

Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that Washington imposed sanctions on Chinese entities accused of providing Iran with satellite imagery, intelligence that reportedly supported attacks against US forces stationed in the Middle East.

“Beijing protested the United States' sanctions against Chinese companies linked to the export of Iranian oil”

BBC

The sanctions targeted firms accused of helping Tehran plan attacks on US forces and also swept up Iran’s overseas arms procurement networks and international companies alleged to have supplied raw materials for Iran’s missile and drone programs.

BBC

The US move came as China’s Ministry of Commerce issued a directive, effective May 2, 2026, that prohibited Chinese firms from complying with US sanctions related to Iranian oil trades.

In the 24 hours after the sanctions announcement, Bitcoin climbed 2.1%, reaching $68,400, according to Crypto Briefing.

China protested the US sanctions on Chinese companies linked to the export of Iranian oil, with Guo Jiakun, spokesman for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, saying China asks the United States to stop resorting to sanctions.

Guo said China will protect its energy security and emphasized that China has consistently and firmly opposed unilateral and illegal sanctions that have no basis in international law or in United Nations Security Council resolutions.

Crypto Briefing

The Global Times reported that the US Treasury Department announced new sanctions on 10 individuals and companies, including entities in China’s mainland and Hong Kong SAR, over accusations they aided Iran’s efforts to secure weapons and raw materials for drones and ballistic missiles.

Global Times also quoted senior fellow He Weiwen saying the US move was “long-arm jurisdiction with no basis in international law,” and said China only complies with UN Security Council sanctions resolutions.

The sanctions package described in Kurdistan24 said the US announced broad sanctions on 32 individuals and entities active across Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, China, Hong Kong, India, Germany, and Ukraine, accusing them of supporting networks that produce Iran's ballistic missiles and drones.

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Financial Times

Kurdistan24 quoted Deputy Secretary of the Treasury John K. Herli saying, "Across the globe, Iran exploits financial systems to launder money, procure components for its nuclear and conventional weapons programs," and added that the US expects the international community to fully implement the UN’s snapback sanctions against Iran.

The same report said the Treasury detailed the dismantling of a multinational procurement network known as the "MVM Partnership," which since 2023 has coordinated the supply of missile propellants—including sodium chlorate, sodium perchlorate, and sebacic acid—from China to Iran.

In the Global Times account, the US Treasury sanctions were described as targeting firms enabling efforts by Iran's military to secure weapons and raw materials with applications in Iran’s Shahed-series unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and ballistic missile program.