US President Donald Trump said that China can “probably” influence Iran, after he met his counterpart, Xi Jinping, during a state visit to Beijing.
In an interview aired on Thursday evening on Fox News' “Hannity” program, Trump said, “Xi probably has the ability to influence Iran” as Tehran and Washington struggle to reach a deal.
Xi privately offered assistance on resolving the war, though it was unclear what that would mean, given China's strategic partnership with Iran, Trump said in the interview.
People also ask
AI powered insights from this story
Donald Trump stated that China's President Xi Jinping "probably has the ability to influence Iran." He mentioned this in an interview after meeting with Xi in Beijing, suggesting Xi could potentially help in reaching a deal between Tehran and Washington.
According to Donald Trump, Xi Jinping assured him that China would not provide Iran with military equipment. However, Trump also noted that Xi highlighted China's significant economic ties with Iran, particularly its oil purchases.
Donald Trump indicated that Xi Jinping expressed a desire to see the Strait of Hormuz reopened and offered assistance if possible. Trump believes China's substantial oil purchases from Iran give it leverage to influence this.
Both Donald Trump and Xi Jinping agreed that Iran should not possess nuclear weapons. This point was mentioned in the White House's readout of their discussions.
China, being the largest buyer of Iranian oil, has a vested interest in the Strait of Hormuz remaining open. Trump believes Xi could use this economic relationship to influence Iran regarding the strait's status.
Trump also said Xi assured him that China wouldn’t provide Iran with military equipment.
He also told Fox News that the two world leaders have agreed that the Strait of Hormuz, effectively closed since the start of the Iran conflict, needs to be reopened to support global energy demands.
About 20% of the world’s oil flowed through the strait before the war started on February 28.
China is the largest buyer of Iranian oil, and Trump hopes Xi will use that leverage to prod Iran into a deal on US terms.
“He’d like to see the Hormuz Strait open," Trump said. "He said if I can be of any help whatsoever, I would like to help.”
The US president said Xi was also opposed to any implementation of tolls on vessels crossing the strait.
The US President said that he thinks that Iran’s current leadership is “actually much more reasonable in many ways.” — “Smarter than the first tier and the second tier who are no longer with us.”
However, Trump said he would not be much more patient with Iran. "I am not going to be much more patient," Trump said. "They should make a deal."
Trump and Xi are set to have more time together at Xi's official residence in Beijing on Friday before the US President returns to Washington. “I think he’s a warm person, actually. But he’s all business,” Trump said of Xi in the Fox News interview. “There’s no games.”
(With agency inputs)
Arshdeep Kaur is a Senior Content Producer at Mint, where she reports and edits across national and international politics, business and culture‑adjacent trending stories for digital audience. With five years in the newsroom, she strives to balance the speed and rigor of fast‑moving news cycles and longer, context‑rich explainers.
Before joining LiveMint, Arshdeep served as a Senior Sub‑Editor at Business Standard and earlier as a Sub‑Editor at Asian News International (ANI). Her experience spans live news flows, enterprise features, and multi‑platform packaging.
At Mint, she regularly writes explainers, quick takes, and visuals‑led stories that are optimized for search and social, while maintaining the publication’s standards for accuracy and clarity. She collaborates closely with editors and the audience team to frame angles that resonate with readers in India and abroad, and to translate complex developments into accessible, high‑impact journalism.
Arshdeep's academic training underpins her interest towards policy and markets. She earned an MA in Economics from Panjab University and holds a Post‑Graduate Diploma in Broadcast Journalism from the India Today Media Institute (ITMI). This blend of economics and broadcast storytelling informs her coverage of public policy, elections, macro themes, and the consumer‑internet zeitgeist.
Arshdeep is based in New Delhi, where she tracks breaking developments and longer‑horizon storylines that shape public discourse.
Oops! Looks like you have exceeded the limit to bookmark the image. Remove some to bookmark this image.
