United States President Donald Trump says he and Chinese President Xi Jinping have agreed that Iran must not be allowed to develop nuclear weapons, as tensions over the ongoing Iran conflict continue to escalate.
Speaking after talks with Xi in Beijing on Friday, Trump said both leaders agreed on the need to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a key global shipping route that has faced major disruption since fighting broke out earlier this year.
“We don’t want them to have a nuclear weapon, we want the straits open,” Trump said, adding that his patience with Tehran was “running out.”
The comments came amid continued fallout from the U.S.-Israel military campaign against Iran, which began on February 28 and triggered renewed instability across the Middle East.
China, one of Iran’s biggest oil buyers, stopped short of openly backing Washington’s position but said the conflict “should never have happened” and called for an end to the war.
Iran has repeatedly denied seeking nuclear weapons, insisting its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes.
However, Tehran has refused to halt uranium enrichment or surrender its stockpile of enriched uranium despite mounting international pressure.
The crisis has also intensified concerns over global energy supplies after Iran effectively restricted traffic through the Strait of Hormuz following U.S.-Israeli attacks and Washington’s naval blockade of Iranian ports.
Before the conflict, nearly a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas shipments passed through the strategic waterway.
Trump also claimed Xi promised that China would not supply military equipment to Iran, describing it as “a big statement.”
Meanwhile, Iran’s military leadership has vowed to continue resisting external attacks.
Army chief Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi Hatami said Iranian forces would defend the country “until the last drop of blood.”
Efforts to broker a ceasefire remain stalled, with talks involving U.S. and Iranian negotiators reportedly deadlocked after both sides rejected recent proposals.
The conflict has also spilled into neighbouring Lebanon, where negotiations are underway to extend a fragile ceasefire between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement.
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