Trump signals fading patience over Iran deal, China sees “no point” in conflict
Shafaq News- Washington/ Beijing
US President Donald Trump has warned that his patience with Tehran was running out during his first visit to China since 2017, while Beijing has called for a “comprehensive and lasting ceasefire” and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
Speaking to Fox News after talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Thursday, Trump urged Tehran to reach a deal with Washington as negotiations remain stalled over Iran’s nuclear program and stockpile of enriched uranium.
“I am not going to be much more patient,” Trump remarked. “They should make a deal.”
The White House previously revealed that Trump and Xi agreed on the need to keep the Strait of Hormuz open after Iran effectively shut the key shipping route in response to US-Israeli strikes launched on February 28, disrupting global energy supplies and maritime traffic through the Gulf. Xi, it said, opposed the “militarization” of the Strait and rejected any attempt to impose tolls on vessels using the waterway.
While revealing that Xi expressed interest in increasing Chinese purchases of US oil to reduce Beijing’s future dependence on the waterway, Trump also said the Chinese leader pledged not to provide Iran with military equipment, which he described as a big statement. “President Xi would like to see a deal made…He'd like to see the Hormuz Strait open,” the US president added, noting that his Chinese counterpart offered assistance “if I can be of any help whatsoever.”
The White House had indicated that both leaders agreed Iran should never obtain nuclear weapons, a claim Tehran has repeatedly denied. Washington is demanding that Iran hand over its enriched uranium stockpile and halt further enrichment activities, while Tehran is seeking sanctions relief, reparations for war damage, and recognition of its control over the Strait.
Trump downplayed the significance of Iran’s hidden uranium stockpile, suggesting securing it was mainly important from a “public relations standpoint.”
Meanwhile, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, in remarks carried by state-run Xinhua News Agency on Friday, cautioned that the conflict was inflicting “severe losses” on Iran and other regional countries.
The spokesperson reiterated proposals previously put forward by Xi to promote stability in the Middle East, as well as a joint China-Pakistan initiative aimed at restoring peace in the Gulf region. "There is no point in continuing this conflict which should not have happened in the first place. To find an early way to resolve the situation is in the interest of not only the United States and Iran, but also regional countries and the rest of the world.”
The official also underlined that “the door of dialogue” should remain open, called for “a settlement on the Iranian nuclear issue and other issues that accommodates the concerns of all parties,” and urged the reopening of Gulf shipping lanes “as soon as possible” to keep global supply chains “stable and unimpeded.”
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