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US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said China has 'substantially reduced' its assistance to Iran, adding that Tehran is likely to make its final oil deliveries to China within two weeks. Bessent argued the pressure explains why Iran proposed a peace deal to Washington, framing it as a sign Tehran is economically squeezed. The comments come amid the broader standoff over the Strait of Hormuz and stalled nuclear negotiations, highlighting how sanctions enforcement against Iran's key oil customer is being used as leverage in the wider US-Iran confrontation.