US President Donald Trump has expressed that he would be “quite disappointed” if China were to supply weapons to Iran, stressing that Chinese President Xi Jinping had personally assured him that Beijing would not engage in such transfers.

His remarks came during an Oval Office interaction in Washington, where he addressed reports suggesting Tehran could soon receive up to 400 Chinese-manufactured shoulder-fired missiles.

Trump told reporters that such a development would be surprising, reiterating that Xi had strongly conveyed his refusal to partake in such activities. He emphasised that Xi was aware of the disappointment it would cause him should China proceed with arms sales to Tehran.

The President’s comments followed earlier intelligence assessments indicating Beijing was preparing to deliver new air defence systems to Iran, at a time when Tehran is actively seeking to replenish its military stockpiles with foreign support.

The Oval Office remarks also built upon Trump’s warnings issued the previous week to both Beijing and Moscow against supplying arms to Iran.

Despite these warnings, Trump maintained that he accepted assurances from both Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin that neither nation was currently providing military support to Tehran.

On his Truth Social platform, Trump wrote that in his opinion both countries were abstaining from arms transfers, adding that any such move would be “very bad for them” and not in their best interests.

Washington’s scrutiny has intensified amid investigations into whether Russian and Chinese intelligence networks have been providing targeting data to Tehran following a series of strikes on American military installations.

Trump recalled his summit with Xi in Beijing in May, noting that the Chinese leader had given him an explicit commitment not to arm Tehran under any circumstances. He said that considering their relationship, he took Xi at his word.

The President also revealed that Putin had extended a similar commitment despite the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

He explained that the Russian leader understood U.S. arms policy, stating that Washington does not sell weapons to Ukraine but only to NATO countries, which pay full price. He added that he had no knowledge of how those weapons were distributed once purchased.

Affirming his reliance on the personal commitments conveyed by both foreign leaders, Trump reiterated to reporters that he trusted Xi and Putin. He concluded by saying that he did not believe either leader would want to risk disappointing him, underscoring his confidence in their assurances.

ANI