President Donald Trump warned Chinese President Xi Jinping during closed-door meetings at the White House that any direct or indirect assistance from Beijing to Iran is entirely unacceptable. US Ambassador to China David Perdue confirmed the exchange following the high-level talks, which took place on Thursday, September 24, 2026.
White House Talks Address Indirect Support Concerns
During the Oval Office discussion, the two leaders addressed the ongoing conflict involving Iran. According to Ambassador Perdue in statements to CNBC on Friday, September 25, Washington raised persistent concerns regarding possible indirect Chinese support for Tehran. Perdue stated that US officials have repeatedly notified Beijing that assistance involving intelligence, spare parts, or military equipment crosses a red line.
“We have stated to them, several weeks ago, that any help that they provide to Iran, whether directly or indirectly, whether it’s intelligence, or spare parts, or military equipment, is completely unacceptable,” Perdue told CNBC.
Despite these warnings, Perdue acknowledged that Washington lacks direct proof that Beijing is actively helping Tehran maintain its closure of the Strait of Hormuz. “We think there is indirect support, but there’s no direct evidence of it,” Perdue said.
Diplomatic Assurances and Mutual Understandings
Following the discussions, the US side reported receiving diplomatic assurances from Beijing. Speaking on Fox News’ “America’s Newsroom,” Perdue stated that Washington obtained commitments from Chinese officials on Thursday, September 24, indicating that Beijing was halting certain activities.
“We’ve already seen movement regarding that. That’s the commitment that was given. They reassured us yesterday that they are not doing that,” Perdue said on Fox News, as noted by Reuters.
Parallel reports from Reuters indicate that Iran anticipated receiving up to 400 shoulder-fired air defense missile launchers from China starting in July, alongside barter-style trade arrangements designed to bypass sanctions on Iranian oil sales and procure military equipment. Despite these reports and pressure from Washington, a senior Iranian official told Reuters that Chinese counterparts maintained they would not curtail economic, political, or military ties with Tehran.
Even with these points of friction, Ambassador Perdue noted that Trump and Xi reached significant shared understandings. Both leaders agreed that Iran must not acquire nuclear weapons and that the Strait of Hormuz must remain open to international navigation.
Broader Bilateral Engagement
The warnings regarding Iran unfolded alongside a state dinner and formal talks at the White House on Thursday, September 24. President Trump characterized bilateral relations as being in an exceptionally strong position while acknowledging the structural differences between the two nations.
President Xi described the meeting as a sincere and in-depth exchange of views that established a new strategic direction for US-China relations. The diplomatic exchanges highlight an ongoing effort by Washington to curtail external military and economic lifelines to Tehran while managing broader superpower competition with Beijing.
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