PHOTO: REUTERS
Trump warns China, Russia against involvement in Iran war
· The Straits Times- Trump warned China and Russia against participating in the Iran conflict, saying it would be very bad for them.
- He cited assurances from President Xi and Putin that they would not sell weapons to Iran.
- US intelligence is investigating possible Russian support to Iran amid ongoing US-Iran hostilities, while sanctions target those aiding Iran's arms purchases.
WASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump said on July 24 that he does not believe China or Russia are “participating” in the ongoing Iran conflict, but warned that if they did get involved “it would be very bad for them.”
“President Xi, at our recent meeting in Beijing, China, told me that he would not, under any circumstances, give or sell Weapons to the Islamic Republic of Iran - And that statement included Chinese Companies,” he wrote on Truth Social.
Trump said Putin had also told him that he would not sell weapons to Iran and that he believed Russia and China were not participating in the Iran conflict.
“If they did, it would be very bad for them - Certainly not in their best interests,” Trump posted.
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 Iranian strikes on CIA targets in the Gulf earlier in the war had prompted US intelligence to investigate whether Russia was assisting Iran with targeting information or drone technology.
The Kremlin on July 23 declined to comment on the report.
The United States has sanctioned individuals and companies in Russia and China for helping Iran buy weapons. REUTERS