Trump tells Xi to stop helping Iran as both leaders declare US-China summit a historic success
US ambassador confirms Trump delivered direct message on Chinese satellite imagery, air defense, and drone parts for Iran, as Araghchi proposes reopening Hormuz in seven days, Qatar mediates, and both leaders emerge from Washington summit declaring a new era in US-China relations
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) - President Donald Trump asked Chinese President Xi Jinping to halt all assistance to Iran during Xi's state visit to Washington on Thursday, as US Ambassador to Beijing David Perdue confirmed Friday that Trump made clear any help to Iran, whether direct or indirect, whether intelligence, parts, or military equipment, is totally unacceptable, while both leaders emerged from the two-day summit praising its outcomes in the most optimistic terms either has used about the bilateral relationship in years.
We have made it very clear to them weeks ago that any help that they would give Iran, whether it be direct or indirect, whether it be intelligence or parts or military equipment, was totally unacceptable. President Trump made that very clear again yesterday
Perdue told CNBC on Friday. He added that the US told China that Iran is an independent issue not linked to Taiwan in any way.
Perdue offered the most significant positive signal yet on Chinese compliance. "We have seen evidence that they have listened to us. They pulled some things down. We have evidence they pay attention when President Trump speaks about Iran," he said.
Both Leaders Declare the Summit a Success
Xi praised the outcomes of his Washington visit in sweeping terms, describing all its details and proceedings as wonderful and confirming that he and Trump had reached a unified and constructive vision that charts the course for the future of bilateral relations between the two countries. "The future of relations between our two nations will be great," Xi said, expressing great optimism about the path of partnership with Washington.
Trump matched Xi's tone, praising the outcomes of the joint summit and saying that exceptional and great things will happen between America and China soon. Trump also announced that what was agreed upon with Beijing will bring major positive results that will make American farmers happy, a reference to the agricultural trade dimension of the bilateral talks that has been a persistent point of friction since the tariff escalations of Trump's first term.
Chinese Satellite Imagery Targeting US Ships
The urgency behind Trump's Iran message to Xi was driven by a specific intelligence disclosure. In recent weeks, Iran has been using high-resolution imagery obtained from Chinese commercial satellites to target US bases in the Middle East as well as aircraft carriers and other Navy ships in the Gulf and Arabian Sea, US officials confirmed to Axios. The discovery prompted the US military to change its operational procedures to make it harder for Iran to locate and target Navy ships. US officials have also been concerned since the start of the war that China is supplying Iran with air defense systems and parts to build drones.
Trump, when asked about a Wall Street Journal report that Chinese entities supplied Tehran with satellite imagery used to carry out deadly attacks on US troops in Jordan in July, said of Beijing's surveillance activities: "They basically do what we do," reflecting his reluctance to publicly condemn China ahead of Xi's visit while privately pressing Beijing to cease cooperation with Tehran.
Xi's Position on Iran
According to Chinese state media, Xi raised the issue of Iran during the bilateral meeting, saying he hoped the US and Iran would resume negotiations and that China would support the two countries recommitting to the 14-point memorandum of understanding reached months ago. "China has encouraged relevant parties to stay committed to peaceful solutions and maintain the momentum of talks," Xi told Trump. Xi also urged Trump to de-escalate with Iran by returning to the June MOU and reaching a nuclear deal.
Araghchi's Proposal: Hormuz Open in Seven Days
The Trump-Xi summit came one day after US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner held a new round of indirect negotiations with Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi on the UNGA sidelines in New York on Tuesday, with Qatari officials passing messages between the two parties, sources with direct knowledge told Axios.
Iran proposed reopening the Strait of Hormuz and resuming nuclear talks within a week if the US lifts its naval blockade, removes sanctions on oil sales, and reinstates a ceasefire across the region. The US negotiators made clear to the Iranians during the talks that Iran does not control the strait and therefore cannot make demands about it. "It was the same terms the Iranians spoke about publicly before the meeting," a source said.
Dozens of oil tankers are transiting the strait each day under US protection, moving millions of barrels of oil to global markets, still well below pre-war volumes but enough to ease pressure. CENTCOM confirmed on September 12 that zero ships have passed the blockade without US authorization in 60 days.
Qatar's Mediation
Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani met Iranian President Pezeshkian in New York on Thursday to discuss the diplomatic effort. A source with knowledge of the mediation efforts said Qatar and Iran are waiting to hear Trump's response to the Iranian proposal. "It is still early to know where it is going, but there are some positive movements," the source said.
Washington has so far held back on imposing sanctions on Beijing over Chinese dealings with Iran, calculating that maintaining Chinese engagement in the diplomatic process is worth more than the enforcement signal that secondary sanctions on China would send. Perdue's Friday disclosure that China has pulled some things down in response to American pressure suggests that calculation may be producing results, at least partially, without the cost of a direct economic confrontation with Beijing.