Trump says China ‘could help a lot more’ on Iran, but ‘not overly disappointed’

US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that he is not “overly disappointed” with China’s involvement in the Iran conflict, describing Beijing’s support for Tehran as limited. “I don’t think much. I think maybe helping, but I don’t think much they could,” Trump told Fox News. “They could help a lot more. I’m not overly disappointed.” He drew a parallel to US military and financial support for Ukraine, arguing that Washington also assists allies in conflicts, so he does not consider China “very bad” for its stance on Iran.

Halting diplomatic travel

Trump announced that he has halted US diplomatic travel for further talks with Iran, telling Tehran that it can call or send representatives to Washington instead. “We have all the cards,” he said, adding that the US will not send officials on an 18-hour journey to Pakistan when it holds the stronger negotiating position. “They know what has to be in the agreement. Very simple. They cannot have a nuclear weapon, otherwise there’s no reason to meet,” Trump stated. He reiterated that seizing Iran’s enriched uranium—which he referred to as “nuclear dust”—remains a core US demand.

Oil infrastructure warning

Trump warned that Iran’s oil infrastructure is approaching a critical breaking point due to the US naval blockade, leaving Tehran unable to offload oil onto ships or into storage. He claimed Iran has only about three days before pressure buildup causes system failure, potentially reducing the country’s oil output capacity to roughly half its pre-war level even if rebuilt. “I think they’re under pressure,” he said. Iran did not immediately react to Trump’s claims.