Trump Rules Out Dependence On China Over Iran, Hormuz Crisis

U.S. President, Donald Trump, on Wednesday said Washington does not expect to need Beijing’s assistance to end the war with Iran and ease Tehran’s grip on the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump, who is in China for a high-level summit with Xi Jinping, made the remarks before departing Washington.

Speaking to reporters, the U.S. president downplayed any significant role China could play in resolving the conflict, which has disrupted maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz — a strategic waterway that carries about one-fifth of global oil supplies.

“I don’t think we need any help with Iran. We’ll win it one way or the other, peacefully or otherwise,” Trump said.

More than a month after a fragile ceasefire took effect, Washington and Tehran remain sharply divided on conditions for ending the conflict.

The United States has demanded that Iran dismantle its nuclear programme and relinquish control over the Strait of Hormuz, while Tehran has insisted on compensation for war damages, an end to the U.S. blockade, and a halt to fighting across regional fronts, including in Lebanon where Israel continues military operations against Iran-backed Hezbollah.
Trump dismissed Iran’s conditions as “garbage.”

Meanwhile, Iran has reportedly strengthened its control over the strategic waterway through oil and gas arrangements involving Iraq and Pakistan, according to sources familiar with the matter.

Ship-tracking data on Wednesday showed that a Chinese supertanker carrying two million barrels of Iraqi crude was attempting passage through the strait.

If successful, it would mark the third known transit by a Chinese oil tanker through the channel since the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran on February 28.

Sources said other countries are also exploring similar arrangements with Tehran, a development analysts say could further entrench Iran’s influence over the vital shipping route.

The Trump administration said on Tuesday that senior U.S. and Chinese officials had agreed in April that no country should impose tolls on commercial traffic passing through the region.

China, one of the largest buyers of Iranian oil, did not publicly challenge the U.S. account.
Despite mounting economic pressure from the conflict, Trump insisted domestic financial concerns were not influencing his approach to the war.

“Not even a little bit,” he said when asked whether rising costs for Americans were pushing him toward a deal with Iran.
“I don’t think about Americans’ financial situation. I think about one thing: We cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon,” Trump added.

The comments are expected to attract scrutiny ahead of the U.S. midterm elections, where inflation and cost-of-living pressures remain major issues for voters.
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Data released on Tuesday showed U.S. inflation accelerated in April, recording its sharpest annual increase in three years amid rising food, rent, and airfare costs.

The International Energy Agency warned that the conflict was exerting heavy pressure on global energy markets, with more than one billion barrels of Middle East oil supply already affected.

According to the agency, global oil supply could decline by about 3.9 million barrels per day in 2026 due to disruptions linked to the Iran conflict.

Brent crude prices eased slightly to about 107 dollars per barrel after a three-day rally triggered by tensions around the Strait of Hormuz.

The U.S. Central Command said the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln was operating in the Arabian Sea enforcing a maritime blockade, redirecting 65 commercial vessels and disabling four others.

The Pentagon also disclosed that the cost of the war had risen to 29 billion dollars, four billion dollars higher than estimates released in April.

Iran has continued to demand security guarantees for Lebanon as part of wider ceasefire negotiations, even as Israeli airstrikes persist against Hezbollah positions.

Lebanon’s health ministry said Israeli strikes on a highway south of Beirut killed eight people, including two children.

In Tehran, Iranian authorities remained defiant, with the Revolutionary Guards reportedly conducting military drills focused on confronting external threats.