diff --git a/features/bootstrap/SQLiteFeatureContext.php b/features/bootstrap/SQLiteFeatureContext.php
index 87598ca..9a07975 100644
--- a/features/bootstrap/SQLiteFeatureContext.php
+++ b/features/bootstrap/SQLiteFeatureContext.php
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ public function aSqlDumpFileNamedWithContent( $filename, PyStringNode $content )
 	 */
 	public function theSqliteDatabaseShouldContainATableNamed( $table_name ) {
 		$this->connectToDatabase();
-		$result = $this->db->query( "SELECT name FROM sqlite_master WHERE type='table' AND name='$table_name'" );
+		$result = $this->db->query( "SELECT name FROM sqlite_master WHERE type='table' AND name='" . $this->db->escapeString( $table_name ) . "'" );
 		$row    = $result->fetchArray();
 		if ( ! $row ) {
 			throw new Exception( "Table '$table_name' not found in the database." );
@@ -34,10 +34,11 @@ public function theSqliteDatabaseShouldContainATableNamed( $table_name ) {
 
 	/**
 	 * @Then /^the "([^"]*)" should contain a row with name "([^"]*)"$/
+	 * @Then /^the "([^"]*)" should contain a row with name:$/
 	 */
 	public function theTableShouldContainARowWithName( $table_name, $name ) {
 		$this->connectToDatabase();
-		$result = $this->db->query( "SELECT * FROM $table_name WHERE name='$name'" );
+		$result = $this->db->query( "SELECT * FROM $table_name WHERE name='" . $this->db->escapeString( $name ) . "'" );
 		$row    = $result->fetchArray();
 		if ( ! $row ) {
 			throw new Exception( "Row with name '$name' not found in table '$table_name'." );
diff --git a/features/sqlite-import.feature b/features/sqlite-import.feature
index 547d1d0..75a4365 100644
--- a/features/sqlite-import.feature
+++ b/features/sqlite-import.feature
@@ -43,3 +43,131 @@ Feature: WP-CLI SQLite Import Command
       Success: Imported from 'STDIN'.
       """
     And the SQLite database should contain the imported data
+
+  @require-sqlite
+  Scenario: Import a file with escape sequences
+    Given a SQL dump file named "test_import.sql" with content:
+      """
+      SET sql_mode='NO_BACKSLASH_ESCAPES';
+      CREATE TABLE test_table (id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY AUTO_INCREMENT, name TEXT);
+      INSERT INTO test_table (name) VALUES ('Test that escaping a backslash \\ works');
+      INSERT INTO test_table (name) VALUES ('Test that escaping multiple backslashes \\\\\\ works');
+      INSERT INTO test_table (name) VALUES ('Test that escaping a character \a works');
+      INSERT INTO test_table (name) VALUES ('Test that escaping a backslash followed by a character \\a works');
+      INSERT INTO test_table (name) VALUES ('Test that escaping a backslash and a character \\\a works');
+      """
+    When I run `wp sqlite --enable-ast-driver import test_import.sql`
+    Then STDOUT should contain:
+      """
+      Success: Imported from 'test_import.sql'.
+      """
+    And the SQLite database should contain a table named "test_table"
+    And the "test_table" should contain a row with name "Test that escaping a backslash \\ works"
+    And the "test_table" should contain a row with name "Test that escaping multiple backslashes \\\\\\ works"
+    And the "test_table" should contain a row with name "Test that escaping a character \a works"
+    And the "test_table" should contain a row with name "Test that escaping a backslash followed by a character \\a works"
+    And the "test_table" should contain a row with name "Test that escaping a backslash and a character \\\a works"
+
+  @require-sqlite
+  Scenario: Import a file with newlines in strings
+    Given a SQL dump file named "test_import.sql" with content:
+      """
+      CREATE TABLE test_table (id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY AUTO_INCREMENT, name TEXT);
+      INSERT INTO test_table (name) VALUES ('Test that a string containing
+          a newline character and some whitespace works');
+      """
+    When I run `wp sqlite --enable-ast-driver import test_import.sql`
+    Then STDOUT should contain:
+      """
+      Success: Imported from 'test_import.sql'.
+      """
+    And the SQLite database should contain a table named "test_table"
+    And the "test_table" should contain a row with name:
+      """
+      Test that a string containing
+          a newline character and some whitespace works
+      """
+
+  @require-sqlite
+  Scenario: Import a file with comments
+    Given a SQL dump file named "test_import.sql" with content:
+      """
+      CREATE TABLE test_table (id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY AUTO_INCREMENT, name TEXT);
+      -- This is an inline comment.
+      # This is an inline comment.
+      INSERT INTO test_table (name) VALUES ('one'); -- This is an inline comment.
+      /* This is a block comment */
+      INSERT INTO test_table (name) VALUES ('two'); /* This
+        is a block comment
+        on multiple lines */ INSERT INTO test_table (name) VALUES ('three');
+      INSERT INTO test_table (name) VALUES ('fo -- this looks like a comment ur');
+      INSERT INTO test_table (name) VALUES ('fi/* this looks like a comment */ve');
+      """
+    When I run `wp sqlite --enable-ast-driver import test_import.sql`
+    Then STDOUT should contain:
+      """
+      Success: Imported from 'test_import.sql'.
+      """
+    And the SQLite database should contain a table named "test_table"
+    And the "test_table" should contain a row with name "one"
+    And the "test_table" should contain a row with name "two"
+    And the "test_table" should contain a row with name "three"
+    And the "test_table" should contain a row with name "fo -- this looks like a comment ur"
+    And the "test_table" should contain a row with name "fi/* this looks like a comment */ve"
+
+  @require-sqlite
+  Scenario: Import a file quoted strings
+    Given a SQL dump file named "test_import.sql" with content:
+      """
+      CREATE TABLE test_table (id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY AUTO_INCREMENT, name TEXT);
+      INSERT INTO test_table (name) VALUES ('a single-quoted string with \' '' some " tricky ` chars');
+      INSERT INTO test_table (name) VALUES ("a double-quoted string with ' some \" "" tricky ` chars");
+      """
+    When I run `wp sqlite --enable-ast-driver import test_import.sql`
+    Then STDOUT should contain:
+      """
+      Success: Imported from 'test_import.sql'.
+      """
+    And the SQLite database should contain a table named "test_table"
+    And the "test_table" should contain a row with name:
+      """
+      a single-quoted string with ' ' some " tricky ` chars
+      """
+    And the "test_table" should contain a row with name:
+      """
+      a double-quoted string with ' some " " tricky ` chars
+      """
+
+  @require-sqlite
+  Scenario: Import a file backtick-quoted identifiers
+    Given a SQL dump file named "test_import.sql" with content:
+      """
+      CREATE TABLE `a'strange``identifier\\name` (id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY AUTO_INCREMENT, name TEXT);
+      """
+    When I run `wp sqlite --enable-ast-driver import test_import.sql`
+    Then STDOUT should contain:
+      """
+      Success: Imported from 'test_import.sql'.
+      """
+
+    And the SQLite database should contain a table named "a'strange`identifier\name"
+
+  @require-sqlite
+  Scenario: Import a file with whitespace and empty lines
+    Given a SQL dump file named "test_import.sql" with content:
+      """
+
+      CREATE TABLE test_table (id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY AUTO_INCREMENT, name TEXT);
+
+
+      INSERT INTO test_table (name) VALUES ('Test Name');
+
+      """
+    When I run `wp sqlite --enable-ast-driver import test_import.sql`
+    Then STDOUT should contain:
+      """
+      Success: Imported from 'test_import.sql'.
+      """
+
+    And the SQLite database should contain a table named "test_table"
+    And the "test_table" should contain a row with name "Test Name"
diff --git a/src/Import.php b/src/Import.php
index d9aa644..de13bb0 100644
--- a/src/Import.php
+++ b/src/Import.php
@@ -51,10 +51,21 @@ public function run( $sql_file_path, $args ) {
 	 */
 	protected function execute_statements( $import_file ) {
 		foreach ( $this->parse_statements( $import_file ) as $statement ) {
-			$result = $this->driver->query( $statement );
-			if ( false === $result ) {
-				WP_CLI::warning( 'Could not execute statement: ' . $statement );
-				echo $this->driver->get_error_message();
+			try {
+				$this->driver->query( $statement );
+			} catch ( Exception $e ) {
+				try {
+					// Try converting encoding and retry
+					$detected_encoding = mb_detect_encoding( $statement, mb_list_encodings(), true );
+					if ( $detected_encoding && 'UTF-8' !== $detected_encoding ) {
+						$converted_statement = mb_convert_encoding( $statement, 'UTF-8', $detected_encoding );
+						echo 'Converted ecoding for statement: ' . $converted_statement . PHP_EOL;
+						$this->driver->query( $converted_statement );
+					}
+				} catch ( Exception $e ) {
+					WP_CLI::warning( 'Could not execute statement: ' . $statement );
+					echo $e->getMessage();
+				}
 			}
 		}
 	}
@@ -73,52 +84,70 @@ public function parse_statements( $sql_file_path ) {
 			WP_CLI::error( "Unable to open file: $sql_file_path" );
 		}
 
-		$single_quotes = 0;
-		$double_quotes = 0;
-		$in_comment    = false;
-		$buffer        = '';
+		$starting_quote = null;
+		$in_comment     = false;
+		$buffer         = '';
 
 		// phpcs:ignore
 		while ( ( $line = fgets( $handle ) ) !== false ) {
-			$line = trim( $line );
-
-			// Skip empty lines and comments
-			if ( empty( $line ) || strpos( $line, '--' ) === 0 || strpos( $line, '#' ) === 0 ) {
-				continue;
-			}
-
-			// Handle multi-line comments
-			if ( ! $in_comment && strpos( $line, '/*' ) === 0 ) {
-				$in_comment = true;
-			}
-			if ( $in_comment ) {
-				if ( strpos( $line, '*/' ) !== false ) {
-					$in_comment = false;
-				}
-				continue;
-			}
-
 			$strlen = strlen( $line );
 			for ( $i = 0; $i < $strlen; $i++ ) {
 				$ch = $line[ $i ];
 
-				// Handle escaped characters
-				if ( $i > 0 && '\\' === $line[ $i - 1 ] ) {
-					$buffer .= $ch;
-					continue;
+				// Handle escape sequences in single and double quoted strings.
+				// TODO: Support NO_BACKSLASH_ESCAPES SQL mode.
+				if ( "'" === $ch || '"' === $ch ) {
+					// Count preceding backslashes.
+					$slashes = 0;
+					while ( $slashes < $i && '\\' === $line[ $i - $slashes - 1 ] ) {
+						++$slashes;
+					}
+
+					// Handle escaped characters.
+					// A characters is escaped only when the number of preceding backslashes
+					// is odd - "\" is an escape sequence, "\\" is an escaped backslash.
+					if ( 1 === $slashes % 2 ) {
+						$buffer .= $ch;
+						continue;
+					}
 				}
 
-				// Handle quotes
-				if ( "'" === $ch && 0 === $double_quotes ) {
-					$single_quotes = 1 - $single_quotes;
+				// Handle comments.
+				if ( null === $starting_quote ) {
+					$prev_ch = isset( $line[ $i - 1 ] ) ? $line[ $i - 1 ] : null;
+					$next_ch = isset( $line[ $i + 1 ] ) ? $line[ $i + 1 ] : null;
+
+					// Skip inline comments.
+					if ( ( '-' === $ch && '-' === $next_ch ) || '#' === $ch ) {
+						break; // Stop for the current line.
+					}
+
+					// Skip multi-line comments.
+					if ( ! $in_comment && '/' === $ch && '*' === $next_ch ) {
+						$in_comment = true;
+						continue;
+					}
+					if ( $in_comment ) {
+						if ( '*' === $prev_ch && '/' === $ch ) {
+							$in_comment = false;
+						}
+						continue;
+					}
 				}
-				if ( '"' === $ch && 0 === $single_quotes ) {
-					$double_quotes = 1 - $double_quotes;
+
+				// Handle quotes
+				if ( null === $starting_quote && ( "'" === $ch || '"' === $ch || '`' === $ch ) ) {
+					$starting_quote = $ch;
+				} elseif ( null !== $starting_quote && $ch === $starting_quote ) {
+					$starting_quote = null;
 				}
 
 				// Process statement end
-				if ( ';' === $ch && 0 === $single_quotes && 0 === $double_quotes ) {
-					yield trim( $buffer );
+				if ( ';' === $ch && null === $starting_quote ) {
+					$buffer = trim( $buffer );
+					if ( ! empty( $buffer ) ) {
+						yield $buffer;
+					}
 					$buffer = '';
 				} else {
 					$buffer .= $ch;
@@ -127,8 +156,9 @@ public function parse_statements( $sql_file_path ) {
 		}
 
 		// Handle any remaining buffer content
+		$buffer = trim( $buffer );
 		if ( ! empty( $buffer ) ) {
-			yield trim( $buffer );
+			yield $buffer;
 		}
 
 		fclose( $handle );