Trump: China Agreed Not to Supply Iran with Weapons, Efforts Underway to Reopen the Strait of Hormuz

SadaNews - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he asked his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping not to supply weapons to Iran, and Xi assured him that he was not doing so. Trump also indicated that he is working to reopen the Strait of Hormuz following the maritime blockade imposed by Washington on Iranian ports.

Trump stated in an interview on "Fox Business" aired on Wednesday, "I had heard that China was providing weapons to Iran." He added, "I wrote him a letter asking him not to do that, and he wrote me back basically saying that he is not doing that."

Later, he wrote on his platform "Truth Social" that "China is very happy that I am working to keep the Strait of Hormuz permanently open. I am doing this for them too and for the world, and this situation will not happen again."

He added, "They have agreed not to send weapons to Iran. President Xi will give me a big hug when I get there in a few weeks. We are working smart and very well! Isn’t this better than fighting?"

Trump continued, "But remember, we are very good at fighting if we have to, much better than anyone else!"

The "Financial Times" reported on Wednesday that Iran has secretly used a Chinese satellite for espionage, giving Tehran a new capability to target U.S. military bases across the Middle East during the war against it, a claim that Beijing has denied.

A report, citing leaked Iranian military documents, stated that the air force of the Revolutionary Guards obtained from China the satellite (T.E.E-01B) that was built and launched by the Chinese company "Earth Eye" in late 2024, after its launch into space.

The newspaper noted, based on dated coordinates and satellite images and orbital analyses, that Iranian military leaders directed the satellite to monitor key U.S. military sites. The "Financial Times" indicated that the images were taken in March before and after drone and missile strikes on those sites.

As part of the agreement, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards gained access to commercial ground stations operated by the Beijing-based company "Imbosat," which provides satellite control and data services across Asia and Latin America and other regions.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry denied this report, describing it as inaccurate. The ministry stated in a statement, "Recently, some forces have sought to fabricate rumors and maliciously link them to China."

The statement continued, "China strongly opposes this kind of behavior driven by hidden motives."

In response to a question about the matter, the Chinese embassy in Washington told the "Financial Times": "We strongly oppose the concerned parties from disseminating misleading information filled with speculation and insinuations against China."

The newspaper mentioned that the satellite captured images of Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia on March 13, 14, and 15.

On March 14, U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed that American planes at the base were targeted in attacks.

The report noted that the satellite also monitored the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan and locations near the U.S. Fifth Fleet base in Manama, Bahrain, and Erbil Airport in Iraq, coinciding with attacks claimed by the Revolutionary Guards on facilities in those areas.