WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump stated on Friday that he does not believe China or Russia are actively participating in the ongoing war with Iran, but issued a stern warning that any future involvement “would be very bad for them.” In a statement published on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump referenced recent diplomatic assurances, noting that Chinese President Xi Jinping had explicitly promised him during their meeting in Beijing that neither the Chinese state nor private Chinese firms would sell or transfer weapons to Iran. Trump added that Russian President Vladimir Putin had offered similar commitments regarding weapon sales.
The direct military conflict between the United States and Iran escalated dramatically in February following coordinated U.S. and Israeli airstrikes that killed senior Iranian leadership, including the country’s Supreme Leader. Despite Trump’s public statements downplaying current foreign alliance shifts, four sources familiar with U.S. intelligence revealed that Washington has been actively investigating whether Moscow provided Iran with critical targeting data or drone technology following precision Iranian retaliatory strikes on CIA targets in the Persian Gulf earlier in the war. While the Kremlin has declined to comment on the intelligence reports, the U.S. administration continues to enforce rigorous sanctions against various Russian and Chinese entities accused of facilitating clandestine procurement networks for Tehran.
