President Donald Trump warned China of “big problems” on Saturday if Beijing supplies Iran with air defense systems, as the U.S. remains engaged in an active conflict with Iran.
Speaking to reporters outside the White House, Trump said: “If China does that, China is gonna have big problems, OK?”
China’s Covert Transfer Plan
According to U.S. intelligence, China plans to route the shoulder-fired anti-air missile systems known as MANPADs through third parties within weeks, CNN reported, citing sources.
MANPADs are lightweight, shoulder-fired surface-to-air missiles designed for individual soldiers or small teams to destroy low-flying aircraft and helicopters. These munitions rely on heat-seeking technology to track and target the heat emitted by an aircraft’s engine or exhaust. During the six-week conflict in Iran, they proved to be a significant challenge.
Beijing Pushes Back
In a statement to The Times of Israel, China’s embassy called the reports “entirely fabricated,” saying it “never provides weapons to any party to the conflict.”
According to a previous report, China’s largest chipmaker, SMIC, reportedly supplied chipmaking tools to Iran’s military.
Trump also previously suggested China may have helped nudge Iran toward a two-week ceasefire reached Tuesday, telling AFP, “I hear yes,” when asked if Beijing was involved.
U.S.-China tensions over Iran have remained elevated since the war began Feb. 28. The fragile two-week ceasefire was subsequently violated following Israel’s attack on Lebanon, with delegations from the United States and Iran now in Pakistan pursuing a potential peace deal.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo courtesy: Shutterstock
Recent Comments