Story by Vinay Patel
Trump Warns China Over Iran Arms ©/ ChatGPT AI-Generated© IBTimes
US President Donald Trump has warned Beijing against supplying air defence systems to Tehran, cautioning that military aid to Iranian forces would trigger serious international friction despite personal assurances from President Xi Jinping.
Reflecting on potential arms shipments to Tehran, Trump said he would be ‘disappointed’ if China stepped in, recalling a personal promise from Xi that Beijing would refrain from shipping military equipment to Iran.
Trump Responds to Reports of Chinese Missiles for Iran
During a Q&A with journalists in the Oval Office, Trump addressed international media reports claiming Tehran is set to acquire up to 400 Chinese-made shoulder-launched missiles in the coming weeks.
‘Well, that would be surprising,’ Trump told reporters gathered 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.
Intelligence Reports Raise Fresh Concerns
As Tehran looks to foreign allies to rebuild its military capabilities, CNN previously cited intelligence assessments indicating Beijing was poised to supply fresh air defence technology to Iran.
Trump’s latest Oval Office remarks build on stern warnings issued to Moscow and Beijing last week, even as the US leader continues to take Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin at their word that no weapons are currently reaching Tehran.
Trump Says Xi and Putin Made Clear Promises
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump expressed confidence that both countries were staying out of weapons sales to Iran, writing: ‘Therefore, two major Countries that people speak of often in terms of Iran are, in my opinion, not participating.’ He went on to warn: ‘If they did, it would be very bad for them — Certainly not in their best interests.’
Amid heightened diplomatic tensions, Washington has launched inquiries into whether intelligence networks in Moscow and Beijing passed key targeting information to Tehran following attacks on US military posts.
Reflecting on his May summit in Beijing, Trump highlighted a firm pledge from his Chinese counterpart never to supply weapons to Tehran under any circumstances, adding, ‘considering our relationship, I take him at his word.’
The US leader pointed out that Putin had made a comparable promise despite the war in Ukraine, explaining that the Russian President recognises how American arms sales operate. ‘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.
‘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,’ Trump told reporters, doubling down on the weight of those assurances before adding, ‘I don’t think they’d want to have me disappointed.’
China Faces Economic Risks if Tensions Escalate
Beyond straining relations between the world’s two largest economies, the Iran conflict has disrupted energy supplies to Beijing, a primary buyer of Iranian oil, following the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. A potential follow-through on Trump’s threat of 50% tariffs on nations arming Tehran could further throw US-China economic ties into turmoil.
