WASHINGTON: U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday warned China and Russia against becoming involved in the ongoing conflict with Iran, saying any direct participation would have serious consequences for both countries.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said he did not believe either China or Russia was currently participating in the conflict but cautioned that such involvement would be “very bad for them.”
“President Xi, at our recent meeting in Beijing, told me that he would not, under any circumstances, give or sell weapons to the Islamic Republic of Iran — and that statement included Chinese companies,” Trump wrote.
The U.S. president also said Russian President Vladimir Putin had assured him that Moscow would not supply weapons to Iran.
“I believe Russia and China are not participating in the Iran conflict. If they did, it would be very bad for them — certainly not in their best interests,” Trump added.
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The remarks come amid heightened tensions in the Middle East as fighting between the United States and Iran continues.
According to four sources familiar with U.S. intelligence, Iranian strikes targeting CIA-linked facilities in the Gulf earlier in the conflict prompted American intelligence agencies to investigate whether Russia had provided Iran with targeting information or drone-related technology.
The Kremlin declined to comment on the reports on Thursday.
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Washington has not publicly presented evidence that either China or Russia is directly involved in the conflict, and both countries have repeatedly called for de-escalation and a diplomatic resolution to the crisis.
