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US President Donald Trump has claimed that China has committed to halting weapon supplies to Iran, following his personal diplomatic interventions with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump indicated that Beijing is supportive of Washington's efforts to maintain the permanent opening of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global energy corridor that has been at the heart of intensifying regional friction since the February 28 US-Israel attacks on Iran. "China is very happy that I am permanently opening the Strait of Hormuz. I am doing it for them, also -- and the World. This situation will never happen again. They have agreed not to send weapons to Iran," Trump wrote. Striking an upbeat tone regarding his rapport with the Chinese leadership, he added, "President Xi will give me a big, fat hug when I get there in a few weeks. We are working together smartly, and very well! Doesn't that beat fighting???" However, he tempered this optimism with a warning of US military prowess, noting, "BUT REMEMBER, we are very good at fighting, if we have to -- far better than anyone else!!!" Earlier on Wednesday, Trump disclosed during a Fox Business interview that understanding with China was reached through a direct exchange of correspondence. After hearing reports of Beijing's military support for Tehran, Trump stated, "I had heard that China's giving weapons to- I mean, you're seeing it all over the place- to Iran." He explained that he subsequently engaged the Chinese President to address the issue: "And I wrote him a letter asking him not to do that, and he wrote me a letter saying that essentially he's not doing that." These developments follow a surge in pressure from the Trump administration against nations suspected of bolstering Iran's military capabilities. Trump had previously cautioned that countries supplying arms to Tehran could be hit with severe economic sanctions, including tariffs reaching 50 per cent. Defending recent US military action, Trump asserted that strikes on Iranian nuclear sites were necessary to prevent a catastrophic escalation. "They would have had a nuclear weapon within weeks... and they would have used it," he claimed, while once again criticising the 2015 nuclear deal brokered by the Obama administration. He also expressed confidence that a US-led blockade on Iranian ports has faced minimal pushback from major global powers, including China and Saudi Arabia, further suggesting that the risk of Iranian strikes against Gulf neighbours has significantly diminished. (ANI)
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