U.S. has reached out to China about cutting oil imports from Iran, officials say

Mr. Trump's successor President Joe Biden has said he was putting "diplomacy first" with Iran but if negotiations fail he would be prepared to turn to other unspecified options

The United States has reached out to China diplomatically about reducing its purchases of Iranian crude oil, U.S. and European officials said on September 28, as Washington seeks to persuade Tehran to resume talks about reviving the 2015 nuclear deal.

Purchases of Iranian oil by Chinese companies are believed to have helped keep Iran's economy afloat despite U.S. sanctions that are designed to choke off such sales to put pressure on Iran to curb its nuclear program.

"We are aware of the purchases that Chinese companies are making of Iranian oil," said a senior U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.