Trump Asserts No Need for China's Help to End War with Iran

According to AFP, on Wednesday (13/5/2026), Trump told reporters before departing for Beijing that “we will talk at length about that.” China is Iran’s primary economic partner, purchasing most of its oil production, and also an important diplomatic supporter. However, Trump underscored that he does not need Xi to find a way out of the conflict that started two and a half months ago with a massive US-Israel attack, culminating in a stalemate over control of the Strait of Hormuz shipping route. “We have a lot of things to discuss. Honestly, I wouldn’t say Iran is one of them, because we are controlling Iran very well,” Trump said. “We will make a deal or they will be destroyed,” he added. Amid reports that China continues to help arm Iran and purchase sanctioned oil, Trump said Xi is “relatively good.” “They get a lot of oil from that area. We don’t have a problem. And he is my friend. He is someone familiar to us,” Trump said.