Hillary Clinton Says India, China Could Help Trump De-escalate Iran Conflict

Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said India and China could play a key role in helping President Donald Trump find a diplomatic way out of the escalating conflict with Iran. Clinton pointed to the two countries’ economic ties with Tehran, particularly their role in Iran’s energy trade, as potential leverage to push for a de-escalation.

Why Clinton Thinks India, China Can Help

Speaking during a conversation hosted by the Hamptons Institute, Clinton said China and India were among the countries best positioned to influence Tehran because of their economic relationship with Iran.

“If you want to figure out how Trump can get out of this, I think the key to it is probably China and India,” Clinton said, noting that China and India are major buyers of Iranian oil and gas.

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 and restore conditions that existed before the latest escalation.

Clinton Says Military Pressure Failed To Weaken Iran

Clinton also argued that the US had underestimated the resilience of Iran’s political and military establishment.

While American intelligence enabled strikes against senior Iranian leaders, she said those attacks had not resulted in the collapse of the Iranian government.

“It did not collapse the Iranian regime,” Clinton said, arguing that the outcome had not produced the effect that some Trump administration officials may have expected.

She said Iran’s military remains a powerful force within the country and argued that Washington should shift from military pressure towards diplomacy.

“It does seem to me that that is where the best pressure would come if Trump were willing to use diplomacy instead of bluster,” she said.

Trump Escalates Economic Pressure On Iran

Clinton’s comments came as Trump launched an “economic D-Day” campaign against Iran, imposing sweeping secondary sanctions aimed at restricting Tehran’s access to global trade and cutting off its remaining economic lifelines, including through entities in China.

The move followed the expiry of a fragile 60-day ceasefire between the US and Iran.

China has 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’s Stakes In Strait Of Hormuz

India has also emerged as a key player because of its dependence on energy supplies passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

India had stopped importing Iranian crude in May 2019 following US sanctions. However, disruptions to energy supplies in West Asia have increased pressure on Indian refiners to find alternative sources.

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.

Indian refiners resumed purchases of Iranian oil in April amid disruptions to supplies through the strait. India has also purchased 44,000 metric tonnes of Iranian LPG transported on a sanctioned vessel.

Clinton argued that these economic relationships could give India and China an important role in efforts to pressure Iran and help reopen the strategic waterway.