Trump says he doesn’t believe China and Russia are helping Iran

US President Donald Trump said Monday that he does not believe China and Russia are helping Iran, arguing that both countries have too much to lose by doing so. Responding to comments that Beijing and Moscow are assisting Tehran, Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform: “If they are, it’s at a very low level, but I don’t believe they are at all.” “They have too much to lose, and we would know about it, and know about it very fast!” he added. His remarks echo a July Truth Social post in which he said that Chinese President Xi Jinping had told him during their meeting in China in May that Beijing would not “under any circumstances” sell weapons to Iran, including through Chinese companies, and that Russian President Vladimir Putin had also told him that he would not sell weapons to Iran. At the time, Trump warned that if they did get involved, “it would be very bad for them.” In May, the Trump administration sanctioned several Chinese companies accused of supporting Iran’s military procurement network and providing satellite imagery that allegedly enabled Tehran to target US forces. Beijing denies the allegations that Chinese entities aided Iran’s military. The US and Israel launched a war against Iran on Feb. 28, prompting Tehran to respond with missile and drone attacks in the region and effectively close the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global energy supplies. A memorandum of understanding signed in June by the US and Iran following Pakistani and Qatari mediation has since stalled amid disagreements, including over navigation in the strait.