China has criticized the latest U.S. sanctions on Iran, which for the first time explicitly target third-party transactions involving digital assets. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said China-Iran cooperation has consistently complied with international law and should not face interference or disruption, in remarks reported by Yonhap News TV. The Trump administration’s expanded measures impose secondary sanctions (penalties on foreign third parties) linked to transactions with Iran involving digital assets, technology, gold, aviation and shipping. The move broadens U.S. enforcement into cryptocurrency and blockchain-based financial flows, potentially increasing compliance pressure on exchanges, payment processors and wallet providers. Global businesses may respond with tighter KYC/AML procedures (customer checks and anti-money-laundering controls), blockchain analytics, geo-blocking and transaction monitoring. The measures could also encourage activity on DeFi (decentralized financial platforms), which are harder to regulate, while creating new enforcement challenges for U.S. authorities. China has previously opposed unilateral U.S. sanctions affecting its economic interests, including energy imports from Iran. The new focus on digital assets adds pressure to Chinese companies and nationals that could face U.S. secondary sanctions over Iran-related transactions despite China’s domestic ban on cryptocurrency trading. The long-term effect on digital asset markets remains uncertain, but the development highlights the expanding reach of sanctions enforcement into emerging technologies.