President Donald Trump expressed gratitude toward Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin for their roles in facilitating an initial cease-fire arrangement with Iran, praising both leaders for helping to create conditions favorable to the agreement. Trump made the remarks during an interview as he celebrated his 80th birthday at the White House on Sunday.
Trump specifically credited Xi and Putin for refraining from sending oil and gas tankers, or other commercial vessels, through the Strait of Hormuz in a manner that could have undermined a U.S. naval blockade aimed at pressuring Iran. “He was a total gentleman,” Trump said of Xi, highlighting the Chinese leader’s decision not to dispatch tankers escorted by military destroyers to challenge the blockade.
The White House did not clarify the specifics of how Xi and Putin supported the cease-fire effort when asked for comment Monday. The State Department deferred questions back to the White House, while the Russian Embassy in Washington did not respond. The Chinese Embassy issued a statement after the article’s initial publication, emphasizing that Xi had proposed four principles for Middle East peace and affirmed China’s continuous efforts to promote an end to conflict and peace in the region.
In recent months, Trump has sought to improve ties with both Beijing and Moscow. Following a trade war last year, Trump welcomed China as a strategic partner, praising Xi as a “tough negotiator.” Last month, Trump traveled to Beijing for a summit and state banquet with Xi, where they discussed trade, Taiwan, and the conflict in Iran. Afterward, Trump suggested the U.S. and China could form a “G2” alliance. Meanwhile, Trump also pursued improved engagement with Russia, maintaining communication with Putin despite Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine, which Putin has resisted resolving.
China maintains a complex position, balancing its own interests while cautiously encouraging Iran to continue negotiations with the United States. However, U.S. officials have accused some Chinese entities of attempting to transfer weapons, including shoulder-fired missiles, to Iran. The U.S. State and Treasury Departments recently imposed sanctions on Chinese-run or linked companies involved in these activities. A Belarus-based group named Armory Alliance was identified as an intermediary facilitating such transfers. China’s Embassy denied these allegations, stating it enforces strict export controls and opposed “groundless smear” campaigns.
In contrast with China’s relatively restrained support, Russia is seen as a more active back channel for Iran, hosting Iranian diplomats and providing targeting information for attacks on U.S. bases in the Middle East, according to U.S. officials.
Recent tensions between the U.S. and China were highlighted by the detention of American citizen U Min Zin on spying charges in Kunming, Yunnan Province, just weeks after Trump’s Beijing summit. U.S. diplomats have visited him in detention. Trump has not publicly addressed the arrest. On Monday, Representative John Moolenaar, chairman of the House Select Committee on China, condemned the detention and called for Min Zin’s immediate release, urging American companies to reconsider supporting China’s military and surveillance apparatus in light of such actions.