President Donald Trump said Monday that he did not believe Russia or China was helping Iran in its war with the United States, dismissing allegations of foreign support despite earlier statements by his defense secretary and U.S. sanctions targeting Iranian procurement networks.
Writing on Truth Social, Trump argued that Moscow and Beijing had too much at stake to assist Tehran. His statement identified no intelligence findings supporting that assessment and announced no new penalties or military response.
"If they are, it's at a very low level, but I don't believe they are at all," Trump wrote. "They have too much to lose, and we would know about it, and know about it very fast!"
The remarks came more than seven months after U.S. and Israeli strikes on Feb. 28 began the conflict. Iran responded with attacks on Israel and Gulf countries hosting American bases, while questions about outside assistance have persisted in Washington.
Trump's position contrasts with concerns expressed within his administration. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told senators in July that Russia and China were enabling some Iranian activities at different levels, without detailing the assistance.
Reuters also reported that U.S. intelligence was examining possible Russian support involving targeting information or drone technology. Trump's latest post did not address those reports or distinguish between weapons deliveries, intelligence assistance and transactions involving private companies.
The president has previously relied on assurances he said he received directly from Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin. In a July 24 post, Trump said Xi had promised that neither China nor Chinese companies would supply weapons to Iran and that Putin had offered a similar commitment.
"If they did, it would be very bad for them," Trump warned then. Monday's statement was less explicit about consequences, although his assertion that both countries had much to lose suggested potential costs without specifying them.
Trump raised the issue again during Xi's visit to Washington last month. The U.S. ambassador to China said the president warned against assistance to Tehran and received assurances that Beijing would provide none, Reuters reported.
Those discussions followed reports that China had supplied shoulder-fired air-defense missile launchers to Iran and helped Tehran circumvent restrictions on oil sales. In September, Trump also dismissed a report that Iran obtained satellite images from Chinese entities before a July attack on a Jordanian base that killed three American troops.
Separately, Treasury Department sanctions have targeted alleged procurement activity. On May 8, the department sanctioned 10 individuals and companies across several countries for supporting Iranian efforts to obtain weapons and materials for drones and ballistic missiles.
A June 10 action targeted nine individuals and entities, including people and businesses based in China and Hong Kong allegedly involved in procurement and transactions for Iranian military organizations. Those allegations concern specific actors and do not independently establish that Beijing directed military assistance.
