On Sunday, Jake Sullivan told CNN that the U.S. would impose sanctions on Beijing should they economically support Russia.

Sullivan said the U.S. is “communicating directly, privately to Beijing, that there will absolutely be consequences for large-scale sanctions evasion efforts or support to Russia to backfill them.” He went on to say that “We will not allow that to go forward and allow there to be a lifeline to Russia from these economic sanctions from any country, anywhere in the world.”

Last week, in the eleventh hour of the Iran nuclear negotiations in Vienna, conversations stalled because of Russian demands for insulation from sanctions on its trade with Iran.

U.S. negotiators under Robert Malley have, so far, been . . . gentle. As Andy McCarthy pointed out last week:

Even as President Biden has condemned Russia’s aggression, his administration has made Putin’s regime its most significant intermediary in the talks with Tehran, a client of Moscow. Not only has Putin’s envoy, Mikhail Ulyanov, been delegated a leading role — because Iran still will not deign to meet with Biden’s Iran-friendly envoy, Robert Malley; the new deal hinges on Russia’s agreement to house the uranium that Iran has been enriching to levels ever closer to weapons grade.

Sullivan, however, claims that “any country, anywhere in the world,” will be held accountable for propping up the Russian economy. Let’s hope he means it, otherwise, any resulting Iran deal (should it happen) will not only be a capitulation to Tehran, but to Moscow as well.