Hillary Clinton says India, China can help defuse Trump-Iran crisis

Newyork,UPDATED: Aug 26, 2026 15:34 IST

Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said India and China could be among the key players in efforts to resolve the West Asia conflict if US President Donald Trump chooses to use diplomacy. In an interview with C-SPAN, she said the two countries matter because they buy large amounts of Iranian oil and gas.

Clinton said strategic mistakes had worsened the conflict and argued that outside pressure, especially through countries with strong energy ties to Iran, could help ease tensions. Her remarks came as the US announced a fresh round of sanctions on Iran and warned countries doing business with Tehran to cut financial ties or face retaliation.

Talking about the conflict, Clinton said, "The misconceptions on a strategic level have led us to where we are." The conflict began on February 28 when the US and Israel launched a joint attack on Iran, triggering retaliatory strikes. It also led to the choking of the vital Strait of Hormuz. In June, the US and Iran signed an interim peace agreement, but it collapsed last month after fresh strikes from both sides.

"If you want to figure out how Trump could get out of this, I think the key to it is probably China and India, because if you look at who buys the most oil and gas from Iran, it's China and India," Clinton said on Monday. Pakistan, Oman and Qatar are among the countries trying to mediate between the US and Iran amid heightened tensions.

The Strait of Hormuz remains the main sticking point in the conflict, with shipping disrupted because of the war. In normal times, roughly a fifth of the world's energy supplies passed through the Gulf chokepoint. Clinton said China in particular could put pressure on Tehran as one of the biggest buyers of Iranian oil and gas. "China is far ahead of that; they have been banking a lot of fossil fuels they got in tankers ... they have been building more reserves ... but they are going to need Iran," she said.

Clinton added, "It does seem to me that's where the best pressure would come from if Trump were willing to actually use diplomacy instead of bluster." Her comments came after US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced a new round of sanctions aimed at Iran and warned every country that does business with the Islamic Republic to sever those financial ties or face retaliation from the US. Tehran, meanwhile, has threatened a military response to the US plan to impose fresh sanctions. China, Turkiye and the UAE are Iran's largest trade partners.

When asked if she would impose secondary sanctions against China, Clinton said, "I would certainly tell the Chinese I was unless they were going to help us to try to get the Iranians to open the Strait of Hormuz and try to go back at least to the status quo ante." On August 20, Trump had said he would go for what he called the "most crushing economic operation" against Iran if Tehran failed to strike a deal. Overall, Clinton said India and China could play an important role in any diplomatic effort to reduce tensions and restore movement through the Strait of Hormuz.

With PTI Inputs

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