President Donald Trump addressed a new report that Iran is expected to obtain up to 400 Chinese-made rocket launchers, saying on July 29 that it “would be surprising.”
Reuters reported on Tuesday that Iran was purchasing between 300 and 400 man-portable air defense systems from China. The alleged purchase of the rocket launchers, which could include Chinese-made FN-16 and QW-12 missiles, would be valued at $60–70 million.
During a press conference in the Oval Office on July 29, Trump was asked for his response to the report, which says that China could provide 400 rocket launchers to Iran after passing them through Pakistan.
“That would be surprising. I mean, things like that happen, but that would be surprising,” Trump told reporters, adding that Xi “told me very strongly he wouldn’t partake. And he knows I’d be quite disappointed.”
Last week, Trump said in a Truth Social post that Xi told him during a May meeting in Beijing that China “would not, under any circumstances, give or sell Weapons to the Islamic Republic of Iran.” The president said Xi’s commitment to not give or sell weapons to Iran also applies to Chinese companies.
“Considering our relationship, I take him at his word and, besides, I am doing him very big favors, also,” Trump said.
The U.S. president also said in his post last week that Russia had agreed not to sell weapons to Iran. He warned that it would be “very bad” for China and Russia if they provided weapons to the Islamic regime.
China’s Foreign Ministry denied involvement in the Iran war in response to the report.
“The relevant reports are completely groundless,” the ministry said. “China has consistently played a role in promoting peace and ending the conflict.”
Inter-Services Public Relations, the public relations wing of the Pakistan Armed Forces, denied any involvement in Iran’s alleged plan to purchase the shoulder-fired air-defense missile launchers from China.
“Speculations of Pakistan being involved in supply of Air Defence weapons to Iran from China are absolutely concocted and false,” it said.
A White House official told The Epoch Times on July 29: “As the President stated, nothing that any outside actor is doing to help Iran is in any way increasing their ability to target Americans.”
During a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing on July 21, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth was asked whether China and Russia were helping Iran. Hegseth said there were attempts at “adversary alignment” but that the “depth and extent of it ought to remain classified.”
“But there are ways in which both of those countries are, at different levels, enabling some of the things Iran is doing,” Hegseth told the committee.
“We’re going to be hitting them very hard, cause it’s our turn to hit them. They know it’s coming, they’re asking us not to do it,” Trump said, adding, “We had five rockets shot going 8,500 mph, and all five rockets were knocked down to the ground—but they nevertheless took a shot, so it’s our turn.”
