U.S. President Donald Trump returned from China on Friday without signaling that he intends to renew the war against Iran, even as Tehran continues to block the Strait of Hormuz and has shown no signs of compromise or progress in negotiations.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on the flight back from Beijing, Trump said Friday: “I have no problem with Iran suspending its enrichment program for 20 years — but it has to be a real commitment.” Trump, who repeatedly praised Chinese President Xi Jinping during his visit, said he is considering lifting sanctions on Chinese companies that purchase Iranian oil and will make a decision on the matter soon.
Donald Trump and Xi Jinping at the Zhongnanhai Garden in Beijing, and Trump's remarks on Iran
(Photo: Reuters)
Just last month, Trump declared that he was seeking a “permanent” rather than temporary deal under which “they will never have a chance to obtain a nuclear weapon.” Speaking at the White House at the time, Trump said he feared devastation in the Middle East: “There is nothing worse than nuclear weapons that would destroy the Middle East, including Israel”
Trump also said Xi “believes” Iran should not possess nuclear weapons. In addition, the U.S. president claimed reports that Iran still retains most of the missiles and launchers it had before the war are incorrect. According to Trump, 80% of Iran’s missiles were destroyed.
On Friday, an Al Jazeera correspondent cited an Iranian source as saying: “Tehran has formally received Washington's response to its proposal, and the U.S. has rejected all of Iran's conditions.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that the contradictory messages Tehran receives through public statements, interviews, and comments by US officials constitute the "main problem" in negotiations with Washington. According to Araghchi, “Pakistan’s mediation process has not failed, but it is facing difficulties.” He warned that “Iran is fully prepared to go back to fighting, and also prepared for diplomatic solutions. Anything China will do to help the situation Iran will welcome.”
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Donald Trump and Xi Jinping at the Zhongnanhai Gardens in Beijing
(Photo: Evan Vucci - Pool/Getty Images)
The central question now is whether, following the Beijing visit, Trump will decide to resume military action. In a post on Truth Social describing his administration’s achievements, he included “the military decimation of Iran,” adding, “To be continued” - a possible hint at further escalation. “I’m not going to be much more patient.,” he said in an interview with Fox News. On Thursday, during a session at Mercaz HaRav yeshiva in Jerusalem, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that “the campaign has not yet ended.”
China is the largest purchaser of Iranian oil and there were expectations that Trump’s pressure on Xi would lead to a shift. However, CNN reported that, based on the agreements and public statements released, the talks did not change Beijing’s position. Although Trump told Fox News that the Chinese leader offered to help resolve the conflict, Secretary of State Marco Rubio told NBC that the United States had not asked China for assistance.
For now, Trump appears to be accepting that there is a limit to the pressure he can exert on Beijing in order to persuade Tehran to accept U.S. peace demands. “Look, he’s not coming in with guns … not coming in shooting,” Trump said when asked whether Xi would influence the Iranians.
US President Donald Trump with Chinese President in Beijing
(Photo: Reuters)
Hours later, China’s Foreign Ministry released a statement suggesting Beijing had not changed its position: “This conflict, which should never have happened, has no reason to continue.”
According to a White House summary of the talks, the two countries agreed that the Strait of Hormuz must remain open and that Iran must not possess nuclear weapons. The White House statement also said Xi “made clear China's opposition to the militarization of the Strait and any effort to charge a toll for its use.” However, the statement released by China’s Foreign Ministry made no mention of payments in the Strait of Hormuz. China has recently pledged to do everything possible to promote peace negotiations and ensure that the strait remains open.