Mohsen Rezaei, Aug. 23 -- The warning from Tehran on Saturday was addressed to everyone, but the arithmetic of it points to Beijing.

Iran has issued similar warnings before - but for its timing. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is scheduled to announce what he has called the "most crushing economic operation in history" against Tehran on Monday. And China, which buys more than 80% of Iran's oil exports, is the country Washington most needs to cooperate with to make it work.

The geometry is straightforward. Iran needs China to keep buying its oil. The United States needs China to stop. Rezaei's warning was directed explicitly at "nearby nations" - a phrase that in the context of Iran's energy trade describes the countries of the Persi...