Trump Says China and Russia Are Not Helping Iran in War

US President Donald Trump said on Monday that he did not believe China or Russia was providing assistance to Iran in the ongoing war, arguing that both countries had too much to lose by becoming involved in the conflict.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump addressed claims by critics and opponents that Moscow and Beijing were supporting Tehran as the war between the United States, Israel and Iran continued.

“If they are, it’s at a very low level, but I don’t believe they are at all,” Trump wrote. “They have too much to lose, and we would know about it, and know about it very fast.”

Trump made similar remarks in July, saying he trusted China and Russia not to assist Iran. At the time, he warned that any direct involvement by the two countries would have serious consequences.

The United States and Iran have been at war since February 28, when US and Israeli forces launched attacks on Iran. Tehran responded with strikes against Israel and Gulf states hosting American military bases. The conflict has since caused thousands of deaths and displaced millions of people, with Israeli military operations in Lebanon adding to the regional toll.

Trump has previously described Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin as neutral in the conflict, despite their countries’ longstanding political and economic relationships with Tehran.

Russia and China have maintained close ties with Iran. Moscow has warned that the conflict could trigger a nuclear arms race in the Middle East, while Beijing has condemned US attacks on Iran as a violation of the country’s sovereignty.

Concerns about possible Chinese assistance to Tehran have persisted amid reports of military and economic cooperation between the two countries. Last month, Trump warned Xi against supporting Iran during the Chinese leader’s visit to Washington, according to the US ambassador to China, who said Beijing had assured Washington it would not provide such assistance.

The warning followed reports that China had supplied Iran with shoulder-fired air defence missile launchers. There have also been reports that Tehran received Chinese assistance in finding ways to circumvent sanctions affecting its oil exports.

Trump dismissed another report in September claiming that Iran had obtained satellite imagery of a military base in Jordan from Chinese entities before an attack in July that killed three US troops.

The allegations have not established that the Chinese or Russian governments directly supported the attacks on American forces.

Despite Trump’s latest assessment, the possibility of outside assistance to Iran remains a point of concern as Washington continues its military campaign. His comments suggest that the US administration does not currently believe either Beijing or Moscow is playing a direct role in supporting Tehran, although he left open the possibility of limited assistance.