United States President Donald Trump on Wednesday said Chinese President Xi Jinping denied sending weapons to Iran. He also said in the Fox News interview that Xi Jinping issued the denial in a written response letter to Trump, after the US president wrote him following reports that surfaced about China supplying Iran with weapons for the war.
“I wrote him a letter asking him not to do that. And he wrote me a letter saying that, essentially, he’s not doing that,” Trump said. Trump is scheduled to meet Xi in Beijing in early May.
ย I am permanently opening the Strait of Hormuz: Trump
Trump wrote in a social media post that China is “very happy that I am permanently opening the Strait of Hormuz.” He added: “They have agreed not to send weapons to Iran.” He seemed to suggest the two are linked.
The president had told an interviewer on Tuesday that Chinese President Xi Jinping had denied sending weapons to Iran. China’s Foreign Ministry has repeatedly denied in recent days that the country is providing any form of military support to Iran.
Mediators move closer to extending ceasefire between US and Iranย
In the meantime, the mediators moved closer to extending the ceasefire between the United States and Iran and restarting negotiations to salvage the fragile truce before it expires next week.
A senior Iranian military official threatened to halt trade in the region if the US does not lift its naval blockade, underscoring tensions that are overshadowing the diplomacy.
The US blockade on Iranian ports and renewed Iranian threats have imperiled the week-old agreement, but regional officials said they were making progress, telling The Associated Press that the United States and Iran had given an “in principle agreement” to extend it to allow for more diplomacy.
The commander of Iran’s joint military command warned Wednesday that Iran would completely block exports and imports across the Persian Gulf region, the Sea of Oman, and the Red Sea if the US military does not lift its blockade on Iranian ports.
Iran will act with strength to defend its national sovereignty:ย Abdollahi
“Iran will act with strength to defend its national sovereignty and its interests,” said Ali Abdollahi, calling the blockade “a prelude to violating the ceasefire.” His comments were reported by Iranian state media.
Before the two-week ceasefire expires on April 22, mediators are pushing for a compromise on three main sticking points that derailed direct talks last weekend – Iran’s nuclear program, the Strait of Hormuz and compensation for wartime damages – according to one of the regional officials who is involved in mediation efforts.
Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the matter. World leaders including US President Donald Trump and UN Secretary-General Antรณnio Guterres said on Tuesday that revived talks in the upcoming days were likely.
The fighting has killed at least 3,000 people in Iran, more than 2,100 in Lebanon, 23 in Israel and more than a dozen in Gulf Arab states. Thirteen US service members have also been killed.
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