US President Donald Trump has claimed that Chinese President Xi Jinping assured him Beijing would not provide or sell weapons to Iran under any circumstances.
In a post on his Truth Social platform on Friday, Trump said Xi made the assurance during their recent meeting in Beijing.
"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," Trump wrote.
Trump said he trusted Xi's commitment, citing the relationship between the two leaders.
He also claimed that Russian President Vladimir Putin had given him a similar assurance despite the ongoing war in Ukraine.
"Likewise, President Putin... told me that he would not sell weapons to Iran," Trump said.
Trump added that he does not sell weapons directly to Ukraine but supplies arms to NATO countries, which purchase them at full price.
"He understands that I do not sell weapons to Ukraine, but to NATO countries. They pay full price, and how those weapons are distributed, I have no idea," Trump wrote.
The US president concluded that, based on the assurances he received, China and Russia were not participating in supplying weapons to Iran.
"If they did, it would be very bad for them — certainly not in their best interests," he said.
Neither Beijing nor Moscow had immediately commented publicly on Trump's claims.
