US President Donald Trump issued a stark warning to China on Saturday over intelligence reports that Beijing is preparing to ship air defense systems to Iran, even as the two powers nominally support a fragile truce – and as Trump prepares to visit Beijing next month for talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
Trump’s warning to China before his visit
Asked by CNN as he left the White House for Florida, Trump left little room for interpretation. “If China does this, China will be in big trouble, yes?” he said. He did not confirm whether he had discussed the matter directly with Xi Jinping.
A spokesman for the Chinese embassy in Washington DC told CNN bluntly: “China has never provided weapons to any side of the conflict; the information in question is false.”
What US intelligence is allegedly showing about China and Iran
Trump’s warning to China did not arise in a vacuum. CNNciting three people familiar with recent intelligence assessments, said US intelligence indicated that China was preparing to deliver new air defense systems to Iran in the next few weeks. Two of those officials told CNN that there are indications that Beijing is working to route the shipments through third countries to cover up their true origins.
Read also | Have Iran and the US concluded talks on a ceasefire in Pakistan? What each side said
The systems in question are shoulder-launched anti-aircraft missile systems known as MANPADs – weapons that posed an asymmetric threat to low-flying US military aircraft during the five-week war and could do so again if the ceasefire collapses.
The intelligence also highlights how Iran may use the ceasefire as an opportunity to replenish certain weapons systems with the help of key foreign partners, CNN reported.
A provocative move that contradicts Beijing’s own narrative
Intelligence findings have a special diplomatic advantage. China has been praised for helping broker a temporary pause in the Iran-US war earlier this week. US President Donald Trump himself claimed credit for this, claiming that Beijing had convinced Iran to sign a ceasefire.
Supplying Tehran with weapons systems while maintaining its position as a peacemaker would represent a striking contradiction — and a direct challenge to Washington at a time when the two sides are already engaged in tense nuclear and territorial negotiations.
The timing of Trump’s planned visit to Beijing early next month makes the reported arms transfer even more outrageous. If confirmed, a new provocation of this magnitude would overshadow these talks before they even begin.
The intelligence also points to a broader pattern: that Iran may be using the ceasefire as a window to replenish depleted weapons systems through key foreign partners, rather than using the pause to move toward a permanent settlement.
Trump on Iran’s military collapse: “Their leaders are all dead”
Speaking with characteristic bluntness about Iran’s current military situation, Trump painted a stark picture of a country he sees as utterly defeated. “They have no navy, no radar, no air force. All their leaders are dead… He ruled for many years; he’s gone. We’ll see what happens with all that – but from my point of view, I don’t care,” he said.
As for Iranian assets, Trump says the US has already won
Asked whether the US would release frozen Iranian assets as part of any emerging deal, Trump rejected the premise that America needed a deal at all.
“We’ll see what happens. We’re in deep negotiations with Iran, we’re going to win no matter what. We’ve defeated them militarily… We’re going to sweep the strait… Whether we get a deal or not, it doesn’t matter to me — and the reason is that we won… NATO didn’t help us…” he said.
Third round of pre-dawn talks in Islamabad
Against this charged backdrop, Iran and the US held a third round of face-to-face talks before dawn on Sunday in Islamabad – the most sustained direct diplomatic encounter between the two countries since the Islamic Revolution in 1979. The talks came days after a ceasefire was announced as the war, which has killed thousands and roiled global energy markets, entered its seventh week.
Two Pakistani officials told The Associated Press that discussions between the heads of delegation would resume after the break and that some technical staff from both teams remained in the talks. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the press.
Trump, when asked about the negotiations, struck the same tone of studied indifference he’s maintained throughout. “They’ve been meeting for many hours… We’ll see what happens. We’ll win regardless… Maybe they’ll agree; maybe they won’t. It doesn’t matter. From America’s point of view, we’re winning… The ships are going up and heading to our country. We’re filling huge tankers with oil and gas…” he said.
