Trump rejects claims that China and Russia are helping Iran, saying both countries have too much to lose.
Reports allege China supplied Iran with shoulder-fired air-defence missile launchers.
Tehran has reportedly found ways to evade oil sanctions with Chinese help, while Trump says Beijing has assured Washington it will not support Iran.
Trump Says Beijing And Moscow Have Too Much To Lose By Backing Tehran
Trump dismisses claims that China and Russia are aiding Iran as reports allege Chinese missile supplies and help for Tehran to evade oil sanctions.
Summary
US President Donald Trump has dismissed claims that China and Russia are assisting Iran in the ongoing war, saying he does not believe either country is providing support to Tehran because both have too much to lose.
In a post on Truth Social late Monday, Trump responded to comments by his critics and opponents alleging that Moscow and Beijing were helping Iran.
“If they are, it's at a very low level, but I don't believe they are at all. They have too much to lose, and we would know about it, and know about it very fast,” Trump wrote.
The United States and Iran have been at war since February 28, when the US and Israel attacked Iran, prompting Tehran to launch strikes against Israel and Gulf states hosting US military bases. US-Israeli strikes on Iran and Israeli attacks on Lebanon have since killed thousands and displaced millions, Reuters reported.
Trump has previously described Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin as “neutral” in the conflict. Moscow and Beijing maintain close ties with Tehran. Russia has warned that the war could lead to a nuclear arms race in the Middle East, while China has condemned Washington's attacks on Iran as a brazen violation of the country's sovereignty.
During Xi's visit to Washington last month, Trump warned the Chinese leader against providing support to Iran. The US ambassador to China said Trump had received assurances from Beijing that it would not do so, Reuters reported.
The assurances came amid reports that China had supplied Iran with shoulder-fired air-defence missile launchers. There were also reports that Tehran had found ways to evade sanctions on its oil sales with Chinese help.
In September, Trump dismissed a report alleging that Iran had obtained satellite images of a military base in Jordan from Chinese entities before an attack in July that killed three US troops there.
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