Trump Cautions Russia and China Against Supplying Arms to Iran

In a recent statement, US President Donald Trump expressed confidence that neither China nor Russia would supply weapons to Iran, amid rising tensions in the Middle East. This assurance was reportedly given to him by Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin during their respective discussions. Trump shared these insights on his social media platform, Truth Social, emphasizing that Xi had committed to refraining from any arms sales to the Islamic Republic of Iran during their latest meeting in Beijing. He highlighted that this commitment extends to Chinese companies as well, reinforcing his belief in the integrity of Xi's word. 'President Xi, at our recent meeting in Beijing, China, told me that he would not, under any circumstances, give or sell weapons to the Islamic Republic of Iran. And that statement included Chinese companies,' Trump stated. He further noted the strong rapport he shares with Xi, suggesting that this relationship underpins his trust in the Chinese leader's assurances.

Trump also mentioned that Putin had conveyed a similar message regarding arms sales to Iran, despite the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. 'President Putin, despite the horrible war going on in Ukraine, told me that he would not sell weapons to Iran,' Trump remarked. He asserted that his connections with both Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy remain stable, even amid the turmoil in Ukraine. In response to criticisms regarding military support for Ukraine, Trump clarified that the US does not directly sell arms to Ukraine but instead provides them to NATO allies, who pay the full price. '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,' he explained. This statement appears to be an attempt to mitigate concerns surrounding US military involvement in the region.