US President Donald Trump has stated that he would be “disappointed” if China supplied weapons to Iran, reiterating assurances he said Chinese President Xi Jinping had personally given him that Beijing would not sell arms to Tehran.
Addressing reporters during an Oval Office interaction, Trump responded to international media reports indicating that Tehran is slated to receive a consignment of up to 400 Chinese-manufactured shoulder-fired missiles within weeks.
“Well, that would be surprising,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.
“I mean, things like that happen, but that would be surprising. He (Xi) told me very strongly he wouldn’t partake, and he knows I’d be quite disappointed,” the US President added.
The development follows earlier intelligence assessments reported by CNN, which indicated that Beijing was preparing to deliver new air defence systems to Iran at a time when Tehran is actively seeking to replenish specific military hardware with support from key foreign partners.
These Oval Office remarks follow warnings issued by the US President last week to both Beijing and Moscow against supplying arms to Tehran, whilst maintaining that he accepts assurances from President Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin that neither nation is currently providing such military support.
Addressing the matter on his Truth Social platform, Trump indicated that both nations were abstaining from arms transfers to Iran, writing, “Therefore, two major Countries that people speak of often in terms of Iran are, in my opinion, not participating.”
He added, “If they did, it would be very bad for them — Certainly not in their best interests.”
The ongoing scrutiny comes amid Washington’s investigations into whether Russian and Chinese intelligence networks have been providing targeting data to Tehran following a series of strikes on American military installations.
Recalling his summit with his Chinese counterpart in Beijing in May, Trump noted that Xi gave an explicit commitment not to arm Tehran under any circumstances, stating, “considering our relationship, I take him at his word.”
The US leader revealed that Putin had extended a similar commitment despite the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, citing the Russian President’s understanding of US arms policy.
“He understands that I do not sell Weapons to Ukraine, but to NATO Countries. They pay full price, and how those Weapons are distributed, I have no idea,” Trump noted.
Affirming his reliance on the personal commitments conveyed by both foreign leaders, Trump reiterated to reporters, “I mean, I will tell you that President Xi said he will not partake, and President Putin said the same thing. I think you know I trust them,” before adding, “I don’t think they’d want to have me disappointed.”
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