China depends on Iranian oil — 12 per cent of its oil imports come from Iran — and this is likely to be one of the main constraining factors in Beijing’s approach to sanctions.

The setback for Mr Obama came in the form of a regular press briefing given by the Chinese Foreign Ministry in Beijing today. The spokesman said: “China always believes that dialogue and negotiation are the best way out for this issue. Pressure and sanctions cannot fundamentally solve it.” Mr Jiang said that China supported a “dual-track” strategy, continuing dialogue with Tehran while considering the possibility of sanctions if that failed.