US President Donald Trump said Friday that he is accepting assurances from Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin over Iran. According to the report, Trump said he believes their statements that China and Russia are not providing weapons to Tehran.
His remarks suggest he is taking both leaders at their word on a sensitive foreign policy issue involving Iran. Trump also indicated that he does not view Beijing or Moscow as "enabling" the Islamic Republic based on what they have told him.
The comments are notable because Iran’s relationships with both China and Russia are closely watched by Washington. Any suggestion of outside military support for Tehran would carry major diplomatic and security implications, making Trump’s public position significant.
With only limited details available, the main takeaway is that Trump chose to publicly back the assurances given by Xi and Putin. That stance places emphasis on direct leader-to-leader statements as the basis for his view of China and Russia’s role regarding Iran.
