WASHINGTON: U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that he believes neither China nor Russia is directly involved in the ongoing conflict with Iran, warning that any future participation by either country would have serious consequences.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said Chinese President Xi Jinping had assured him during their recent meeting in Beijing that China would neither provide nor sell weapons to Iran. According to Trump, the assurance also applied to Chinese companies.
Trump added that Russian President Vladimir Putin had similarly informed him that Russia would not supply weapons to Iran. Based on those assurances, he said he did not believe either country was taking part in the conflict.
“If they did become involved, it would be very bad for them. It would certainly not be in their best interests,” Trump wrote.
The comments came as the U.S. House of Representatives approved a $95 billion budget package that includes funding related to the ongoing conflict with Iran.
The United States and Iran have remained in a state of conflict since U.S. and Israeli strikes launched in February, which killed several senior Iranian officials, including the country’s supreme leader.
Meanwhile, according to four people familiar with U.S. intelligence assessments, Iranian attacks on CIA-linked targets in the Gulf earlier in the conflict prompted American intelligence agencies to examine whether Russia had provided Iran with targeting information or drone-related technology. The Kremlin declined to comment on those reports.
The United States has previously imposed sanctions on several individuals and companies in both Russia and China for allegedly assisting Iran in acquiring military equipment.
