President Donald Trump says he quietly wrote to Chinese leader Xi Jinping asking him not to supply weapons to Iran, and that Xi wrote back denying Beijing was doing so. Trump described the exchange in a taped interview that aired Wednesday. He also said he would slap immediate 50% tariffs on any country that sends arms to Tehran. The remarks land as Washington and Beijing brace for a planned summit between the two leaders next month.
What Trump Said
Trump told the interviewer he had sent Xi a letter urging China not to provide weapons to Iran and that "he wrote back saying China was not supplying Tehran," though he did not say when the letters were exchanged, according to Reuters. The outlet also reports that Trump warned he would immediately impose 50% tariffs on any country that supplied arms to Iran. He was quoted as saying, "he's somebody that needs oil. we don't."
Intelligence And Denials
U.S. intelligence agencies have reportedly flagged possible transfers of shoulder‑fired air‑defence systems to Iran, moves officials warn could complicate U.S. operations if confirmed, as reported by Fox News. Beijing has denied arming Tehran and has told diplomats it does not provide weapons to parties in the conflict, the outlet noted.
Summit And Diplomatic Pressure
Trump has tied his outreach to Xi directly to efforts to isolate Tehran, and the leaders' meeting has been rescheduled for mid‑May, according to Al Jazeera. In the taped interview, he said he did not expect changes in global oil markets or developments in Venezuela to knock the summit off course, Reuters reported.
Why It Matters
If accurate, Trump's account would hand the president a quiet diplomatic win ahead of high‑stakes talks with Xi. If it cannot be independently verified, it could highlight a gap between presidential rhetoric and what intelligence agencies can firmly establish. The claims are unfolding amid a broader U.S. pressure campaign, including a reported naval blockade of Iranian ports, that news outlets say is intended to push Tehran back to the negotiating table, according to reporting by the Associated Press.
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