US President Donald Trump on Tuesday (local time) made vague comments regarding China’s involvement in helping Iran in the war by possibly providing weapons or other potentially lethal war supplies to the Islamic Republic, a move that would test the US’s red line on helping Tehran during the war, Bloomberg reported.
In an interview with CNBC, Trump suggested that Washington had caught a “gift” boat from Beijing; however, without saying so, he hinted that the “gift” may have been some lethal aid intended for Tehran. This happened when he was talking about the US’s efforts to replenish its own ammunition stockpile.
He said: “We caught a boat yesterday that had some things on it that weren’t very nice – maybe a gift from China, I don’t know.” He added: “I thought I was getting along with President Xi, but that’s okay. That’s how war goes, isn’t it?”
Nikki Haley accuses China of helping Tehran
Trump’s cryptic remarks came a day after former US ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley accused China of helping Tehran in its war with the US. In a post on X, Haley wrote: “The ship the US seized in the Strait of Hormuz this weekend was bound for Iran from China and is linked to chemical supplies for missiles.”
Haley went on to note that Beijing has refused all previous orders from Washington to stop aiding Tehran.
China denies aid to Iran
At a briefing on Tuesday, Guo Jiakun, a spokesman for China’s foreign ministry, responded to Beijing’s unverified claims that it was linked to chemical supplies for missiles, saying: “As far as I know, the vessel seized by the US is a foreign container ship. China rejects any false connection and speculation.”
The Chinese embassy in Washington stressed that Beijing treats “the export of military products prudently and responsibly and strictly controls the export of dual-use items.”
Are China and Russia helping Iran in its war against the US?
Citing U.S. officials, Bloomberg reported that while Russia assisted Iran during the six-week conflict, China’s role was less clear. While Beijing generally avoids supplying weapons to overseas wars or openly violating US sanctions. Providing aid to Tehran would risk potential economic sanctions after Trump threatened to impose immediate 50% tariffs on any country that supplies Iran with weapons, saying “there will be no exceptions or exemptions.”
Earlier this month, a CNN report citing US intelligence said Beijing was preparing to deliver a new air defense system to Tehran in the coming weeks, including shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missile systems. In a separate interview with Fox Business, he said that Chinese President Xi Jinping had assured him in an exchange of letters that China was not providing weapons to Iran. Chinese officials have repeatedly denied that the country sends weapons to the Islamic Republic.
Trump-Xi Jinping will meet soon
The development comes ahead of a high-stakes meeting between Xi and Trump in May. The meeting comes after a previously planned meeting in April was postponed due to the war in Iran.
Ryan Hass, director of the China Center at the Brookings Institution, said Trump’s decision to downplay the US seizure of a Chinese ship was not surprising as Washington and Beijing have sought to manage tensions over the Iran war without upsetting broader bilateral relations.
