US President Donald Trump said he does not believe China and Russia are helping Iran, arguing that both countries have too much to lose. His remarks come amid reports alleging Russian intelligence sharing and possible Chinese assistance to Tehran.
Donald Trump says China and Russia are not helping Iran, arguing that both countries have “too much to lose”.
- Trump doubts China and Russia are aiding Iran.
- He argues both nations have too much to lose.
- Reports suggest possible intelligence and arms ties.
US President Donald Trump said he does not believe China and Russia are helping Iran in its war with the United States and Israel, arguing that both countries have too much to lose by supporting Tehran.
“If they are, it's at a very low level, but I don't believe they are at all,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social late Monday. “They have too much to lose, and we would know about it, and know about it very fast!” he added.
Trump made similar remarks in July, saying he trusted China and Russia not to help Tehran. He said Chinese President Xi Jinping had assured him that Beijing would not give or sell weapons to Iran, including through Chinese companies. Trump also said Russian President Vladimir Putin had told him Moscow would not sell weapons to Tehran, warning that any such involvement would be “very bad for them”.
Washington has separately warned Beijing against providing assistance to Iran. US Ambassador to China David Perdue said the Trump administration had made clear that any direct or indirect Chinese support for Tehran, including intelligence, parts or military equipment, would be “totally unacceptable”. Perdue described the warning as an ongoing message from Washington.
Despite these assurances, reports of possible Russian and Chinese assistance to Iran have continued. In March 2026, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing US intelligence sources, that Russia had expanded intelligence sharing with Iran, including through drone technology and satellite imagery. The report said the assistance could help prolong the war and potentially benefit Moscow's military and economy.
The Kremlin rejected the report as “fake news”. Russian presidential spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said many accounts of the war amounted to disinformation and that Moscow did not consider it necessary to comment on each one.
Reuters has reported allegations that China supplied Iran with shoulder-fired air-defence missile launchers and helped Tehran find ways to evade sanctions on its oil sales. These allegations have raised concerns in Washington about possible Chinese assistance to Iran, but do not establish that the Chinese government directly supported Iranian attacks on US forces.
Separately, reports alleged that Iran obtained satellite imagery of a military base in Jordan from Chinese entities before an attack there in July that killed three US troops. Trump dismissed a report about Chinese involvement in September.
The United States and Israel launched strikes against Iran on February 28, 2026, prompting Iranian retaliatory attacks against Israel and Gulf countries hosting US military bases. China has condemned Washington's attacks as a violation of Iranian sovereignty, while Russia has warned that the conflict could trigger a nuclear arms race in the Middle East.
