'Trump could get out of this...': Hillary Clinton names India, China as key cards to end Iran crisis

Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Tuesday (Aug 25) said that India and China could play a “key” role in helping American President Donald Trump find a diplomatic solution to the conflict with Iran. Clinton pointed out that these two countries’ have deep economic ties with Tehran, and their energy trade can be used a potential leverage to push for a de-escalation. Clinton’s remarks came as Trump launched an “economic D-Day” campaign against Iran, threatening to cripple Iran's economy with his Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent calling it an “endgame.” Trump opined that this new phase of was will include sweeping secondary sanctions, aimed to restrict Tehran’s access to global trade and even warned other countries trading with the Islamic Republic.

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Speaking during a conversation hosted by the Hamptons Institute, Clinton said: “If you want to figure out how Trump could get out of this, I think the key to it is probably China and India. Because if you look at who buys the most oil and gas from Iran, it is China and India." She said China had a particularly strong interest in preventing further escalation because of its dependence on Iranian energy. Clinton suggested that Washington could use the threat of secondary sanctions to pressure Beijing into helping persuade Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Clinton also argued that the US had underestimated the resilience of Iran’s political and military establishment.

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China opposes Trump's sanctions on Iran

Meanwhile, China rejected the US sanctions and said it would take measures to protect its interests. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said Beijing opposed unilateral sanctions and would take “all necessary measures” to safeguard its rights and interests. China is Iran’s biggest trading partner and its largest oil customer, accounting for about 90% of Iranian oil exports.

India had stopped importing Iranian crude in May 2019 following US sanctions. However, Hormuz disruptions has impacted country's energy supplies as India receives around 40% of its crude oil imports, 60% of its LNG imports and about 90% of its LPG imports through the Strait of Hormuz.