Trump Warns Russia and China Against Joining Iran War

United States President Donald Trump has asked Russia and China not to join the war against Iran, threatening dire consequences if either nation becomes involved. The Middle East has heated up again after the US launched its latest wave of strikes against Iran several days ago. Trump is reportedly reviewing plans for a new large-scale attack on Iran, with the scale of the latest US military operation potentially exceeding the strikes carried out during Operation Epic Fury earlier this year. Trump made the remarks in a recent interview with US media outlet Axios, stating he is close to making a decision regarding the possible massive strike but emphasised that no final decision has been made. Trump believes that neither China nor Russia is currently ‘participating’ in the ongoing Iran war, but he warned that if they do get involved, ‘it will be very bad for them’. Writing on his Truth Social platform, Trump said, ‘President Xi, at our recent meeting in Beijing, China, told me that he would not, under any circumstances, provide or sell weapons to the Islamic Republic of Iran – and that statement includes Chinese companies.’ Trump added that Russian President Vladimir Putin also told him he would not sell weapons to Iran, and he trusts that Russia and China are not participating in the Iran conflict. ‘If they do, it will be very bad for them – It is certainly not in their best interest,’ he 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 that Iranian attacks on CIA targets in the Gulf early in the war prompted US intelligence to investigate whether Russia was assisting 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.