President Donald Trump said Chinese President Xi Jinping has agreed not to send weapons to Iran as tensions tied to the conflict in the region continue.
Trump disclosed the apparent understanding in a series of public remarks and a social media post on April 15 describing a personal exchange of letters with Xi and suggesting cooperation between Washington and Beijing amid ongoing instability affecting global energy routes.
“I wrote him a letter asking him not to do that, and he wrote me a letter saying that, essentially, he’s not doing that,” Trump said in a televised interview, adding that he believed China was not supplying Tehran with weapons, per Reuters.
“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 Donald J. Trump pic.twitter.com/g2LbmMJS5a
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) April 15, 2026
In the same Truth Social post, Trump framed the development as part of broader coordination with China tied to the strategic waterway known as the Strait of Hormuz, through which a significant share of global oil shipments typically passes.
Trump did not provide details on the timing of the correspondence with Xi or whether the understanding constitutes a formal agreement. Beijing has not publicly confirmed the exchange.
The comments come as maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains disrupted following earlier hostilities, as extensively covered by The Dallas Express. Roughly 20% of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments typically transit the passage, though flows have been reduced amid the conflict and an uncertain ceasefire.
Trump has also threatened economic penalties against countries that supply Iran with weapons, including the possibility of steep tariffs.
The development adds to a series of high-profile foreign policy statements from Trump in recent days, including escalating rhetoric tied to the Iran conflict and public disputes with international figures such as Pope Leo XIV.
In a separate report, Trump criticized Pope Leo XIV over his stance on the war, accusing the pontiff of weakness and linking his papacy to Trump’s own presidency, while also drawing backlash for posting and later deleting an AI-generated image portraying himself in a biblical scene, according to reporting by The Dallas Express.
It remains unclear how the reported understanding with China will affect the broader trajectory of the conflict or ongoing diplomatic efforts with Tehran. Trump has indicated that talks with Iran could resume, though no agreement has been reached.
