Trump pushes Beijing to interrupt from Tehran in cellphone name with Xi

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Revealed on 05/02/2026 - 5:44 GMT+1 • Up to date 9:16

US President Donald Trump stated that he and Chinese language President Xi Jinping mentioned the state of affairs in Iran on Wednesday in a wide-ranging cellphone name, as Washington continues to push Beijing and others to additional isolate Tehran.

Trump shared that he and his Chinese language counterpart additionally talked a couple of vary of different essential points associated to the US-China relationship, together with commerce, Taiwan and his plans to go to Beijing in April.

“The connection with China, and my private relationship with President Xi, is a particularly good one, and we each realise how essential it's to maintain it that method,” Trump stated in a social media posting concerning the name.

In a post-call briefing, the Chinese language authorities stated the 2 leaders mentioned main summits their nations will host within the coming yr that would current alternatives for them to satisfy. Beijing’s assertion nevertheless made no point out of Trump’s anticipated April go to.

Trump and Xi mentioned Iran as tensions between Washington and Tehran stay critically excessive over their bloody crackdown on nationwide protests final month. The US president says he's nonetheless weighing taking navy motion in opposition to the Center Japanese nation.

Trump can also be urgent Iran to make concessions on its nuclear programme, which his administration insists has been “obliterated” in focused US aerial assaults throughout the 12-day conflict Israel launched on Tehran in June.

US and Iranian officers stated they'd agreed to carry negotiations in Oman on Friday. The talks have been initially slated for Turkey, however shifted to the Gulf nation at Iran’s insistence.

Trump introduced final month that the US would cost a 25% tariff on any nation that continues to do enterprise with Iran. China is Iran’s largest and most dependable buying and selling accomplice.

Regardless of years of sanctions geared toward isolating Iran on the worldwide stage and crippling its economic system to stop it from advancing its nuclear programme, Tehran nonetheless managed $125 billion (€106 billion) in commerce in 2024, together with $32 billion (€27.1 billion) with China.

The World Commerce Organisation says Iran additionally had a $28 billion (€23.8 billion) commerce steadiness with the United Arab Emirates, in addition to $17 billion (€14.4 billion) with Turkey throughout the identical yr.

China additionally made clear to america throughout the name that it doesn't intend to step away from its long-term plans of reunification with Taiwan.

The Trump administration introduced in December a large arms package deal to the self-governing island which China regards as its personal, valued at greater than $10 billion (€8.48 billion), which included medium-range missiles, howitzers and drones.

The transfer continues to attract an indignant response from China, which has warned the US to raised deal with the state of affairs.

“Taiwan won't ever be allowed to separate from China,” the Chinese language authorities assertion stated. “The US should deal with the problem of arms gross sales to Taiwan with prudence.”

Trump additionally introduced in a put up on his social media platform Reality Social that he and Xi Jinping additionally mentioned the conflict in Ukraine, although didn't go into element.

Different mentioned matters within the cellphone name, which Trump described as “glorious”, included Beijing’s buy of US oil and gasoline, easing restrictions on buying of US agricultural merchandise, specifically soybeans and deliveries of heavy equipment, together with airplane engines.