US President Donald Trump has said he does not believe China and Russia are providing assistance to Iran in its ongoing war with the United States and Israel, arguing that both countries have too much to lose by getting involved.
Trump made the remarks late Monday, October 12, in a post on Truth Social, responding to claims by critics that Moscow and Beijing were supporting Tehran.
“If they are, it’s at a very low level, but I don’t believe they are at all. They have too much to lose, and we would know about it, and know about it very fast,” he wrote.
The president had expressed similar confidence in July, saying he trusted China and Russia not to assist Iran while warning that any involvement would have serious consequences for them. He has also previously described Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin as neutral in the conflict.
The war began on February 28, when the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran, prompting Tehran to retaliate against Israel and Gulf countries hosting American military bases. The conflict, alongside Israeli attacks on Lebanon, has reportedly killed thousands of people and displaced millions.
Despite Trump’s position, Russia and China maintain close relations 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 serious violation of the country’s sovereignty.
Last month, Trump reportedly warned Xi against supporting Tehran during the Chinese leader’s visit to Washington. The US ambassador to China subsequently said Xi had assured the American side that Beijing would not provide such assistance.
The warning came amid reports that China had supplied Iran with shoulder-fired air-defence missile launchers and helped Tehran find ways to circumvent sanctions on its oil exports. In September, Trump also dismissed a report alleging that Iran had obtained satellite images of a military base in Jordan from Chinese entities before an attack in July that killed three US troops.
