Krishnamoorthi, Cline, Blumenthal, and Graham Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Expose PRC Purchases of Iranian Oil and Support for Iran’s Ballistic Missile Program
WASHINGTON — Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), Ranking Member of the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party, along with Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Representative Ben Cline (R-VA), and Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), introduced the Tracking and Restricting Adversarial Circumvention of Embargoes Act of 2025 yesterday. The bipartisan legislation directs the intelligence community to investigate and report on the People’s Republic of China’s purchases of Iranian oil and its support for Iran’s ballistic missile program, including transfers of chemical precursors and other materials that fuel Iran’s missile arsenal. It then requires the Secretary of the Treasury to report to Congress on whether any of these activities should be subject to U.S. sanctions.
“China’s growing purchases of Iranian oil and its support for Iran’s ballistic missile program are not just violations of U.S. sanctions—they are direct threats to regional stability and to our allies,” said Ranking Member Krishnamoorthi. “The Tracking and Restricting Adversarial Circumvention of Embargoes Act of 2025 gives Congress the intelligence and transparency needed to expose how the PRC enables Iran’s most dangerous activities. By bringing these transactions into the light, we strengthen our ability to enforce sanctions and hold malign actors accountable. I’m proud to work with colleagues across the aisle and across the Capitol to advance this critical national security measure.”
“China’s continued purchases of Iranian oil and its role in enabling Iran’s missile program to pose a direct threat to U.S. national security and to the stability of our allies in the Middle East. Requiring ODNI to provide Congress with a full accounting of these transactions is a necessary step toward exposing how the PRC uses shell companies, transshipment schemes, and other avenues to evade sanctions. This report will give Congress and the Treasury Department the insight needed to strengthen enforcement, close loopholes, and ensure that hostile regimes, and those who bankroll them, are held accountable," said Rep. Ben Cline (VA-06).
“As one of Iran’s most valuable oil customers, China is providing significant financial support for Iran’s terrorist activities in the Middle East and beyond,” said Senator Richard Blumenthal. “Transparency is the first step towards accountability, which is why our bill would require a full report on China’s oil and ballistic missile-related transactions with Iran. This information will support robust sanctions enforcement and provide a path forward for additional legislative action.”
“This is the first step in fully understanding how China and other nations prop up the Ayatollah’s war machine,” said Senator Graham. “I appreciate my colleagues for their leadership on this issue.”
Summary of the Tracking and Restricting Adversarial Circumvention of Embargoes Act of 2025
Key provisions:
Directs the Director of National Intelligence to submit a comprehensive assessment of PRC-Iran oil shipments and missile-related transactions since 2020.
Requires analysis of PRC use of shell companies, transshipment points, and other methods designed to evade or obscure sanctions.
Mandates an assessment of significant financial transactions by PRC entities supporting Iran’s ballistic missile program.
Requires the Secretary of the Treasury, within six months of receiving the report, to determine whether China is engaged in sanctionable activities and report that determination to Congress.
The bill text is available here.