Trump Urges China to Halt Support for Iran

During a highly anticipated summit in Washington, President Trump conveyed to Chinese President Xi Jinping the need to cease any support for Iran in its conflict with the United States, according to a US official.

US Ambassador David Perdue mentioned on CNBC that Trump reiterated to Xi that any form of assistance—direct or indirect—to Tehran was “totally unacceptable.”

“We clearly stated weeks ago that any support for Iran, whether it be intelligence or military supplies, was out of the question. President Trump made that explicitly known once again yesterday,” Perdue remarked in an interview.

When asked by the press at the White House, Trump confirmed that he indeed expressed this sentiment during his Thursday meeting with Xi.

China has been backing Iran economically, notably purchasing around 90% of its oil exports, and has provided intelligence support. Recently, it is reported that China supplied satellite images related to a missile strike in Jordan that resulted in the deaths of three US service members.

“They basically do what we do,” Trump commented while discussing a Wall Street Journal report on Air Force One. “When they say China spies on us, I acknowledge, ‘You’re correct, and we spy on them too.’”

On Friday, Perdue indicated some progress had been made: “We’ve observed signs that they’re listening,” he noted.

“They have taken down some things,” he added, suggesting, “We have proof that they take President Trump’s words about Iran seriously.”

This warning followed meetings between US special envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff and Iranian officials during the United Nations General Assembly. Reports suggest these discussions may have led to a new peace proposal set to be implemented in stages, according to Reuters and Bloomberg.

The initial phase intends to lift the US naval blockade of Iranian ports in exchange for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

A US official stated on Friday that “positive and constructive discussions through the mediators” were taking place, though specific details of the peace proposal were not confirmed.

“The United States holds a strong position with control of the Strait of Hormuz, so we’re not in a rush,” the official added.

Additionally, it was reported that nearly 40 million barrels of oil have passed through the strait within the past two days, implying that Iran’s hold on this vital energy corridor may be weakening.