Trump Says Xi Promised No Weapons for Iran — But the Strait Is Still Blocked

TLDR

• Trump wrote to Xi asking China not to supply Iran with weapons; Xi replied that China is not doing so
• Trump threatened 50% tariffs on any country arming Iran
• Trump claims he is “permanently opening” the Strait of Hormuz, though traffic remains well below normal
• The letter exchange comes ahead of a planned Trump-Xi summit in Beijing on May 14-15
• The US has enacted a blockade of Iranian ports, halting all sea trade in and out of the country

Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping exchanged letters over China’s alleged weapons transfers to Iran, Trump revealed in a Fox Business interview that aired Wednesday.

Trump said he wrote to Xi after hearing reports that China was supplying weapons to Iran. Xi wrote back saying China was not doing so.

Trump had previously threatened a 50% tariff on goods from any country that arms Iran. That threat directly applies to China, which is one of Tehran’s closest economic partners.

Beijing does not directly ship arms to Iran but does supply dual-use technology, which has raised concerns in Washington.

Strait of Hormuz Disruption

The letter exchange follows weeks of disruption in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards declared the strait closed roughly 45 days ago, cutting off around 20% of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments.

A two-week ceasefire is now in place, but traffic through the waterway is still far below normal. Daily crossings are a fraction of the 130-plus seen before the conflict began.

China is the largest buyer of Iranian oil, making the strait closure an economic problem for Beijing as well as global markets.

US Blockade of Iran

The US has now enacted a blockade of Iranian ports. The US military said Wednesday the blockade has completely halted sea trade going in and out of Iran.

Peace talks between the US and Iran ended over the weekend without an agreement. Trump said those talks could resume this week.

Upcoming Beijing Summit

The letters come ahead of Trump’s planned visit to Beijing on May 14-15 for a summit with Xi. Trump said the US moves on Iran and Venezuela would not affect that meeting.

Xi made his first public comments on the Iran conflict on Tuesday, telling Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez that “the international order is crumbling into disarray.”

China has called on all parties to show restraint. Fresh data released Tuesday showed China’s export growth slowing sharply in March.

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