US President Donald Trump said on July 24, 2026, that he does not believe China or Russia are involved in the ongoing conflict with Iran and warned them against providing weapons to Tehran [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]. He told reporters he trusts Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin, who both assured him they would not sell arms to Iran [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]. Trump said, "President Xi, at our recent meeting in Beijing, China, told me that he would not, under any circumstances, give or sell Weapons to the Islamic Republic of Iran — And that statement included Chinese Companies" [1]. He added, "If they did, it would be very bad for them — Certainly not in their best interests" [2].

Trump also noted his relationship with Xi Jinping played a role in his trust, saying, "Considering our relationship, I take him at his word and, besides, I am doing him very big favors, also" [6]. He said in Mandarin, "我不认为他们有在协助（伊朗）。我想我信任他们," meaning he does not believe China and Russia are assisting Iran [5].

The US and Iran have been in conflict since February 2026, following US and Israeli strikes that killed senior Iranian officials [1, 2, 3, 5]. US intelligence has investigated possible Russian assistance to Iran in targeting and drone technology after Iranian attacks on CIA targets in the Gulf, though the Kremlin declined to comment [1, 2, 5]. Meanwhile, the US has sanctioned individuals and firms in Russia and China for allegedly helping Iran obtain weapons [1, 2, 5].

Tensions remain high, with some US officials contradicting Trump’s position. US war minister Pete Hegseth told Congress that Russia and China are assisting Iran in some ways, despite Trump’s public statements [5].

Trump met Xi Jinping in Beijing in May 2026, where Xi reportedly assured him China would not provide weapons to Iran [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]. The Kremlin declined comment in late July on reports of Russian assistance to Iran [1, 2, 5].

Trump’s remarks on July 24 serve as both a warning and a reaffirmation of the president’s claims that China and Russia remain uninvolved in arming Iran. The situation is closely watched as US sanctions and intelligence investigations continue.