Washington: US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said Chinese President Xi Jinping has assured him that Beijing is not supplying weapons to Iran, following a direct exchange of letters between the two leaders.
“I wrote him a letter asking him not to do that, and he wrote me a letter saying that, essentially, he’s not doing that,” Trump said in an interview with Fox Business Network, amid heightened tensions over Iran and concerns about possible foreign military support to Tehran.
Trump said the communication followed his warning to countries against supplying arms to Iran, including a threat last week of imposing a 50 percent tariff on any nation found providing weapons to Tehran. While he suggested China responded positively, he did not specify when the exchange of letters took place.
The statement comes against the backdrop of intelligence reports flagged by CNN, citing US sources, which suggested that China was preparing to send weapons to Iran, including air defence systems such as shoulder-fired anti-air missiles known as MANPADs, potentially routed through third countries to conceal their origin.
Responding to the reports, a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington denied the claims, stating that China has never provided weapons to any party involved in the conflict and termed the information untrue.
In a post on Truth Social, Donald Trump linked China’s position to his stance on the Strait of Hormuz, saying Beijing was supportive of his efforts to keep the crucial shipping route open. “China is very happy that I am permanently opening the Strait of Hormuz. I am doing it for them, also — and the world,” he wrote, adding that both sides were working together constructively while reiterating US military strength.
However, the situation in the Strait of Hormuz remains uncertain. Weeks after Iran’s Revolutionary Guards declared the waterway closed—disrupting nearly a fifth of global oil and gas shipments—shipping traffic continues at reduced levels despite a temporary ceasefire, raising questions over claims of the strait being fully reopened.
Trump also indicated that talks with Iran could resume this week after earlier negotiations ended without agreement. Meanwhile, the United States has enforced a naval blockade on Iranian ports, with officials stating it has halted maritime trade to and from the country.
The developments place China’s stated position, conflicting intelligence reports, and ongoing tensions in the Strait of Hormuz at the centre of a rapidly evolving geopolitical situation.
