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Trump and Netanyahu Aim to Target Iranian Oil Exports: Plan for Tariffs and Escalation of Pressure

Published February 15, 2026, 09:29

US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed when they met at the White House on Wednesday that the US will take steps to reduce Iran's oil exports to China, news website Axios reported on Saturday, citing two sources in the US government aware of the matter. “We agreed that we will get to the end of the (maximum pressure) campaign on Iran, for example, with regard to Iranian oil sales to China,” one of the website’s sources in the Government said. China is the destination of 80% of the oil exported by Iran. Any reduction in exports would reduce the Islamic Republic’s revenue. The means to achieve this would be to impose additional customs duties (+25%) on any country doing business with Iran. US and Iranian diplomats held talks last week on the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program with Oman’s mediation and against the backdrop of the continued deployment of US military assets in the Gulf region and preparations by the US armed forces for military operations lasting several weeks against Tehran. Source: CNA