US President Donald Trump on Friday said the leaders of China and Russia had assured him they were not supporting Iran in its conflict with America, and warned that any military assistance from either country “would be very bad for them”.
In a post on Truth Social, Mr Trump said Chinese President Xi Jinping had told him during a recent meeting that Beijing would not “under any circumstances” sell weapons to Iran, including through Chinese companies.
“Considering our relationship, I take him at his word,” Mr Trump wrote.
He said Russian President Vladimir Putin had also pledged not to arm Tehran.
“Likewise, President Putin … told me that he would not sell weapons to Iran,” Mr Trump wrote. “If they did, it would be very bad for them – certainly not in their best interests.”
Mr Trump's comments come after a senior US military official suggested that Russia had provided some support to Iran during the conflict.
On Thursday, Reuters reported that Iranian strikes on CIA-linked facilities in the Gulf earlier in the conflict had prompted US intelligence agencies to investigate whether Russia had provided Iran with targeting intelligence or drone technology.
In April, Senator Roger Wicker asked Gen Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, whether there was any question that Russia was taking “serious action” to undermine US efforts in Iran.
“There is definitely some action there,” Gen Caine responded during a public hearing. He did not go into detail, alluding to the classified nature of the intelligence.
US media later reported that Moscow had shared intelligence and other support with Tehran during the war.
Iran has carried out scores of attacks across the region since February, targeting civilian infrastructure as well as US military bases in the Gulf and in Jordan.
China has also faced scrutiny over its ties to Iran. 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 has denied previous US allegations that Chinese entities aided Iran's military.
The US has also imposed sanctions on Russian and Chinese individuals and companies accused of helping Iran acquire weapons.
The remarks also come after two weeks of US strikes on Iran and amid stalled diplomatic efforts to restore a ceasefire.
The conflict, now in its fifth month, has increasingly centred on the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly a fifth of the world's traded oil normally passes.
Washington and Tehran remain deadlocked over the terms under which commercial shipping can transit the strategic waterway, while regional mediators continue efforts to broker a diplomatic settlement.
Mr Trump is under growing pressure to end the war he entered alongside Israel in February. The conflict has killed at least 18 US service members and wounded dozens more.
On Wednesday, Mr Trump travelled to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware to attend the dignified transfer of four US troops killed in recent attacks.
“For me, it's one of the hardest things to do as president, but it has to be done,” he told reporters.
The deaths have underscored the political challenge facing Mr Trump, who campaigned on ending costly foreign wars and keeping American troops out of harm's way.
