Donald Trump claims Xi Jinping will not arm Iran as strike threat looms

{"text":[[{"start":9.15,"text":"Donald Trump said Xi Jinping had promised that he was not sending weapons to Tehran, as the US president warned he was ready to renew his war on Iran and had been just an “hour away” from ordering more strikes."}],[{"start":22.450000000000003,"text":"Speaking to reporters outside the White House on Tuesday, Trump said his Chinese counterpart had vowed not to send arms to Iran when the two leaders met in Beijing last week."}],[{"start":32.45,"text":"“President Xi has promised me that he is not sending any weapons to Iran,” Trump said. “That’s a beautiful promise. I take him at his word.”"}],[{"start":41.150000000000006,"text":"The Chinese readouts of the summit contained no reference to Xi agreeing to anything on Iran. Ahead of the summit, Trump also claimed that Xi had pledged not to provide Iran with weapons. "}],[{"start":54.95,"text":"The FT reported last month that a Chinese company had provided the Iranian military with the capacity to control a satellite that tracked US military assets in the Middle East shortly before they were struck by Iran. "}],[{"start":66.65,"text":"Trump also said talks with Tehran were ongoing, but he had on Monday been an “hour away” from ordering another attack before calling off the plan."}],[{"start":75.55000000000001,"text":"The US, its Gulf allies and Israel were a “team” in the negotiations with Tehran, he said, and gave Iran “two or three days” to strike a deal."}],[{"start":85.60000000000001,"text":"“I’m saying two or three days, maybe Friday, Saturday, Sunday, something, maybe early next week, a limited period of time, because we can’t let them have a nuclear weapon.”"}],[{"start":null,"text":"

"}],[{"start":null,"text":""}],[{"start":95.50000000000001,"text":"The comments from the US president came just days after his return from Beijing, where he discussed his war in Iran with Xi but returned without making any progress in ending a conflict that has triggered a global energy crisis."}],[{"start":109.35000000000001,"text":"The president said he had an “amazing time” with his Chinese counterpart, who he said shared his desire for the Strait of Hormuz to be reopened. "}],[{"start":118.95,"text":"Trump’s assessment contrasted with that of the Republican chair of the House armed services committee, who said on Tuesday morning that the Iran war had reminded America “who our friends are not”."}],[{"start":130.55,"text":"“China and Russia reportedly assisted Iran during this conflict. That should concern every American citizen,” said Mike Rogers, the panel’s chair. He said that “any effort” by China and Russia “to help Iran rebuild its military must carry consequences”."}],[{"start":147.15,"text":"The Strait of Hormuz, through which nearly a fifth of the world’s oil transits, has in effect been closed since the US and Israel first launched strikes against Iran on February 28, wreaking havoc on the global supply of oil and sending petrol prices around the world to fresh highs. A shaky ceasefire has been in place since early April."}],[{"start":166.85,"text":"Trump on Monday said in a post on Truth Social that he had suspended a military attack on Iran scheduled for Tuesday at the request of US allies in the Middle East. He added that “serious negotiations” were taking place with Tehran."}],[{"start":183.65,"text":"Adam Smith, the top Democrat on the House armed services committee, said the president’s threats “to kill as many Iranians as humanly possible” and his repeated “claims that Iran is now willing to negotiate on all of these issues” had cost the US credibility."}],[{"start":199.15,"text":"“Who’s going to believe anything we say?” Smith said."}],[{"start":202.75,"text":"Another Democratic lawmaker, Chrissy Houlahan, said the Trump administration’s rhetoric about Iran was akin to that used about the Vietnam war, when the US regularly publicised its count of “enemies killed, ground taken, bombs dropped” but “still lost”."}],[{"start":219.7,"text":"She added: “Strategically, we are in a disaster right now.”"}],[{"start":223.7,"text":"The war has ripped through markets, sending the price of Brent crude oil up by more than 50 per cent since the conflict began to almost $111 a barrel on Tuesday. Soaring fuel prices have pushed US inflation to the highest level in three years, and sent the country’s borrowing costs jumping. The 30-year Treasury yield climbed to 5.19 per cent on Tuesday, its highest level since 2007."}],[{"start":248.14999999999998,"text":"Trump’s comments came as Russian President Vladimir Putin and Xi prepared to hold their own summit in Beijing. "}],[{"start":254.89999999999998,"text":"The FT first reported on Monday that Xi told Trump during their talks last week that Putin might end up regretting his full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Trump denied the report on Tuesday, telling reporters: “No, he never said that.”"}],[{"start":276.09999999999997,"text":""}]],"url":"https://audio.ftcn.net.cn/album/a_1779267693_6761.mp3"}