Since when
Since the US sanctions they have to sell it under the table.
To evade sanctions, Iran is accused of using a so-called “shadow fleet” of tankers sailing with transponders disabled. Chinese private refineries — mainly in Shandong province — are reported to handle these imports, avoiding large state-owned oil companies.
Iranian oil is typically sold below market price due to sanctions. While this discount once created strong profit margins, analysts note a sharp decline: from $11 per barrel in 2023 to $4 in 2024, and just $2 so far in 2025.
Several reports indicate that Iran sells oil in Chinese yuan instead of US dollars, restricting its purchases to Chinese goods.