President Donald Trump announced that China won’t send Iran weapons for new air defense systems amid reports indicating otherwise and predicted President Xi Jinping “will give me a big, fat, hug” during their meeting next month in a post shared on his Truth Social account Wednesday (April 15).
“China is very happy that I am permanently opening the Strait of Hormuz. I am doing it for them, also – And the World. This situation will never happen again. They have agreed not to send weapons to Iran. President Xi will give me a big, fat, hug when I get there in a few weeks. We are working together smartly, and very well! Doesn’t that beat fighting??? BUT REMEMBER, we are very good at fighting, if we have to – far better than anyone else!!! President DJT,” Trump wrote.
Trump and Xi are scheduled to meet in Beijing on May 14 and 15, which was delayed from its earlier scheduled date due to the ongoing war in Iran. China is reported to get an estimated 45% to 50% of its crude imports through the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has blockaded in response to the U.S. and Israel’s ‘Operation Epic Fury.’
Trump claimed that the war in Iran was “very close to over” during an interview with FOX News‘ Maria Bartiromo on Tuesday (April 14).
“I think it’s close to over. Yeah. I mean, I view it as very close to over,” Trump responded when asked about the status of the war.
The president still claimed that the U.S. was “not finished,” acknowledging that it would take Iran two decades to rebuild if American troops pulled out now.
“If I pulled up stakes right now, it would take them 20 years to rebuild that country. And we’re not finished,” Trump said. “We’ll see what happens. I think they want to make a deal very badly.”
Another round of in-person discussions between the United States and Iran could take place as early as this week, two sources with knowledge of the situation confirmed to NBC News. A U.S. official told NBC News that engagement between the U.S. and Iran has continued and the two sides are attempting to get toward an agreement.
On Sunday (April 12), Vice President JD Vance said U.S. officials were unable to reach an agreement with Iranian officials on a peace deal during negotiations between the two sides in Islamabad, Pakistan, during a press conference.
“The bad news is that we have not reached an agreement, and I think that’s bad news for Iran, much more than it’s bad news for the United States of America,” Vance said via USA TODAY.
The vice president claimed that negotiations failed due to Iran’s refusal to commit to not developing nuclear weapons now or in the future during the first face-to-face meetings between the two countries in 47 years.
“So we go back to the United States, having not come to an agreement, we’ve made very clear what our red lines are, what things we’re willing to accommodate them on, and what things we’re not willing to accommodate them on,” Vance said via USA TODAY.
Trump had already claimed that the United States had won regardless of any outcome of the negotiations while speaking form the White House earlier on Saturday (April 11) before leaving for Miami, Florida.
“Regardless what happens, we win,” Trump said via UDA STODAY. “We totally defeated that country. And so let’s see what happens. Maybe they make a deal, maybe they don’t. From the standpoint of America, we win.”
Trump had previously announced a two-week ceasefire agreement hinging on the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, which serves as a vital waterway for trade along the Persian Gulf responsible for an estimated 20% of the world’s oil supply traveling through and has been blockaded by Iran in retaliation of the war, leading to a spike in gas prices. Iran agreed to reopen the Strait under the 10-point ceasefire plan, with the American government described s “workable,” before Tehran officials claimed they plan to charge $2 million to pass through, which they said would be used to rebuild infrastructure damaged by the U.S. and Israel during ‘Operation Epic Fury’ and later closed the waterway in response to Israel’s
“There are reports that Iran is charging fees to tankers going through the Hormuz Strait — They better not be and, if they are, they better stop now!” Trump said in response to the report via the New York Post.
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