Targeting the “China Lifeline”: Trump and Netanyahu Agree on Oil Crackdown

A new layer of strategic coordination between Washington and Jerusalem emerged following Wednesday’s summit. According to an exclusive Axios report published Saturday, February 14, 2026, President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reached a specific agreement to intensify “Maximum Pressure” by aggressively targeting Iran’s oil exports to China.
Cutting the 80% Lifeline
The agreement focuses on the single most significant source of revenue for the Iranian regime. Currently, more than 80% of Iranian oil exports are destined for China, often via “dark fleet” tankers and ship-to-ship transfers in international waters.
U.S. officials briefed on the meeting noted that Trump intends to leverage the SHIP Act (2024) and new executive directives to force a reduction in Chinese purchases. The goal is to create an economic “chokehold” that forces Tehran to make substantial concessions in the ongoing Muscat negotiations, which have so far remained deadlocked over nuclear enrichment and ballistic missiles.
A “Full Force” Policy
An Israeli official confirmed to Channel 12 that the two leaders are now in lockstep on the economic front. “We agreed to go full force with the maximum pressure policy against Iran, such as everything concerning the sale of Iranian oil to China,” the official stated. “The ball is in their court. If there is no real deal, we won’t agree.”
Netanyahu reportedly remains deeply skeptical that Tehran will honor any agreement, telling Trump during their closed-door session that “Even if you sign a deal with Iran, they won’t respect it.” By targeting the China oil trade, Netanyahu hopes to weaken the regime’s internal stability and its ability to fund the “Axis of Resistance” proxies, even as diplomacy continues.
The China Factor
The crackdown places Beijing in a delicate position. As Trump continues to leverage tariffs and trade threats against China on other fronts, the enforcement of Iranian oil sanctions becomes a powerful bargaining chip. If China significantly reduces its imports, the Iranian rial—already reeling from the 2025 war and recent protests—could face a total collapse.
This agreement acts as the “economic pincer” to accompany the “military pincer” of the two-carrier armada now heading for the region. While Trump maintains he “prefers a deal,” the systematic targeting of Iran’s last major revenue stream suggests he is prepared to bankrupt the regime if a signature isn’t secured soon.