China is flagrantly (and openly) flouting US-imposed sanctions blocking purchases of Iranian oil.

Indeed, according to Iran's oil minister, sales of Iranian crude oil, gas condensates and petrochemical products have seen a "staggering" rise in the past 10 months, and while he didn't thank China directly it was clear who the end buyer is: the country which continues to demonstrate to the world that it will never follow US demands when it comes to its own geopolitical interests .

Addressing lawmakers in Tehran, Javad Owji said that Iran's budget for the year to start March 21 has factored in daily oil sales of 1.2 million barrels, the ministry's official Shana news agency reported on Sunday.

Owji's comment come after a December report from Bloomberg that China has ramped up its buying of cheap Iranian crude after independent refiners were granted additional import quotas for 2021.

The nation imported almost 18 million barrels in November, equivalent to about 600,000 barrels a day, according to market intelligence firm Kpler. That's up almost 40% from October and the biggest volume since August. December purchases were likely a continuation of the recent trend.