Trump Warns China and Russia Against Involvement in Iran War

US President Donald Trump has stated he believes China and Russia are not currently participating in the ongoing war with Iran, but warned that any involvement would be ‘very bad for them’. Writing on his Truth Social platform, Trump said President Xi Jinping had assured him during a recent meeting in Beijing that China would not, under any circumstances, provide or sell weapons to the Islamic Republic of Iran, including via Chinese companies. He added that Vladimir Putin had similarly told him that Russia would not sell weapons to Iran. ‘If they do, it will be very bad for them — it is certainly not in their best interest,’ Trump wrote.

The United States and Iran have been at war since the US and Israel launched strikes in February, killing senior Iranian officials, including the country’s supreme leader. Four people familiar with US intelligence said an Iranian attack on a CIA target in the Gulf early in the war prompted US intelligence to investigate whether Russia had assisted Iran with targeting information or drone technology. The United States has previously sanctioned individuals and companies in Russia and China for helping Iran procure weapons.

Tensions in the Middle East have escalated further after the US launched a new wave of strikes against Iran days ago. Trump is reportedly reviewing plans for a massive new military operation against Iran, which could surpass the scale of Operation Epic Fury launched earlier this year. In an interview with Axios, Trump said he was close to making a decision on the potential large-scale strike but stressed that no final decision had been made.