U.S. President asserts Beijing influenced Tehran’s decision to negotiate, while Washington frames temporary truce as a strategic win tied to Strait of Hormuz security
President Donald Trump told Paris-based AFP on Tuesday that China played a role in Iran’s decision to enter talks and agree to a two-week cease-fire.
“I hear yes. Yes they were,” he said during a call with the international outlet.
U.S. officials have stated that China has a vested interest in maintaining a free and open Strait of Hormuz, as it remains a net importer of energy. The critical waterway south of Iran handles roughly one-fifth of the world’s energy supply, along with other materials such as chemicals and fertilizers. Any disruption has led to rising prices and concerns over potential food shortages in some countries.
Although Beijing has expressed support for a cease-fire, it has shown no willingness to participate in operations aimed at securing the strait.
A Chinese spokesperson said Wednesday that officials in Beijing have been in contact with more than two dozen Middle Eastern countries since the conflict in Iran began, but did not confirm whether China directly influenced Tehran’s agreement to the cease-fire.
Trump told AFP that the cease-fire effectively amounted to a victory for the United States.
“Total and complete victory, 100 percent. No question about it. No question about it,” he said.
The cease-fire announcement came on April 7, shortly after Trump spoke with Pakistan, and was contingent on Iran agreeing to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
“Based on conversations with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir of Pakistan, and wherein they requested that I hold off the destructive force being sent tonight to Iran, and subject to the Islamic Republic of Iran agreeing to the COMPLETE, IMMEDIATE, and SAFE OPENING of the Strait of Hormuz, I agree to suspend the bombing and attack of Iran for a period of two weeks,” Trump said on Truth Social.
He added that all military objectives had been achieved and that the two-week pause would be used to pursue a lasting peace agreement.
On April 8, Trump said in another Truth Social post that the United States would work with Iran to remove buried reserves of enriched uranium as part of broader peace efforts.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth stated during an April 8 press conference that denuclearizing Iran remains “non-negotiable.”
“What the new Iranian regime knows is they’ll never have a nuclear weapon or the capability to get a path to one,” he said.
He and other military officials also emphasized that the United States stands ready to resume operations should Iran violate the cease-fire agreement.
