Trump says he does not believe China and Russia are helping Iran "at all"

Right · 2US President Donald Trump said late on Monday 12 October that he did not believe China and Russia were helping Iran "at all", adding that Moscow and Beijing had "too much to lose" if they enabled Tehran. 1 2 Right · 2Writing on Truth Social, Trump said he had seen comments from critics and opponents that the two countries were helping Iran. He wrote: "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." 1 2 Mixed · 2In the post, as quoted by The Hindu, Trump described the critics as "Radical Left Morons and Lunatics" and referred to the "'wonderful' Islamic Republic of Iran"; the Reuters copy paraphrases them as critics and opponents. 3 1

Right · 2Trump said in July that he trusted China and Russia not to help Tehran in the Iran war, but warned that if they did get involved "it would be very bad for them". He has previously described Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin as "neutral" during the war. 1 2 Right · 2The United States and Iran have been at war since 28 February, when the US and Israel attacked Iran and Tehran responded with strikes on Israel and on Gulf states that host US bases. US-Israeli strikes on Iran and Israeli attacks on Lebanon have since killed thousands and displaced millions. 1 2 Right · 2Moscow and Beijing maintain close ties with Tehran. Russia has said the war could lead to a nuclear arms race in the Middle East, and Beijing has condemned Washington's attacks on Tehran as a brazen violation of Iran's sovereignty. 1 2

Right · 2In September, Trump warned Xi against supporting Iran when the Chinese leader visited Washington, and received assurances that China would not do so, according to the US ambassador to China at the time. The warning came amid reports that China had supplied Iran with shoulder-fired air-defence missile launchers and that Tehran had found ways to evade sanctions on its oil sales with Chinese help. 1 2 Right · 2Also in September, Trump brushed aside a report that Iran acquired satellite images of a base in Jordan from Chinese entities before an attack in July that killed three US troops there. 1 2 Right · 1IJR said reports of Chinese and Russian support for Tehran, including allegations involving intelligence and military-related aid, are disputed, and that Russia has denied providing intelligence on US targets. 4

Left · 1The Hindu linked the remarks to Trump's recent contacts with both leaders: after a call with Putin, which Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov called "very substantive" and friendly, Trump announced that Russia would immediately supply over 300,000 tons of diesel to American and global markets, with more shipments to follow. 3 Left · 1The Hindu also noted that after Xi's three-day Washington visit in September, a White House fact sheet said the US and China agreed more favourable tariff treatment for $30 billion of non-sensitive goods in each direction and that China would import at least 10 million metric tonnes of US coal in 2027 and 2028. 3 Right · 1IJR added that Trump posted on 11 October that Russia and Ukraine had agreed an immediate energy ceasefire, which Ukrainian President Zelenskyy said was news to him. 4

Centre · 1In a Wall Street Journal opinion piece carried by Hindustan Times, the writer argued that Trump pursues a divided policy, giving hawks more influence on Iran while catering to restrainers on Russia, and that the public dislikes the Iran war, high fuel prices and accommodation of Russia. 5