Trump told Xi that aiding Iran was totally unacceptable, U.S. ambassador to China says

During a week of talks between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Washington, Trump reportedly warned Xi against providing any support to Iran, US Ambassador to China David Perdue disclosed in an interview with CNBC on Friday (September 25). Perdue stated that Trump emphasized the "total unacceptability" of any Chinese assistance to Iran.

This warning came after reports surfaced that China had supplied Iran with shoulder-fired air-defense missile launchers and had aided Tehran in evading US sanctions on oil exports. When asked by Fox News whether China would cease its support to Iran, Perdue revealed that Washington had received assurances from Beijing on Thursday, stating, "We've seen movement ... on that already. That’s what the commitment is. They assured us yesterday they’re not doing that."

However, concerns remain as Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen has urged Trump to address the issue with Xi during their summit, alleging that Chinese entities might have provided Iran with intelligence or targeting assistance which resulted in American casualties. Shaheen cited reports of China supplying Iran with high-resolution satellite imagery of a military base in Jordan, which led to the attack that killed three US soldiers and wounded four others.

Despite Perdue's assurances, a senior Iranian official told Reuters that Chinese officials had told Tehran that China would not restrict its economic, political, or military ties with Iran due to pressure from Trump. This conflicting information leaves questions about the extent of China's commitment to limiting its relationship with Iran.

China has not commented publicly on these specific allegations of military assistance to Iran, and Xi has not addressed the allegations directly. During their three-day state visit to Washington, Trump and Xi did not hold formal press conferences, leaving officials from both nations to provide their accounts of the discussions.