Trump says patience with Iran is running out, insists he didn’t ask China for favors

US President Donald Trump said on Friday that his patience with Iran was “running out” and claimed Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed that Tehran must reopen the Strait of Hormuz, though Beijing gave no indication it would directly intervene in the crisis. Speaking aboard Air Force One after returning from two days of talks with Xi in Beijing, Trump also said he was weighing whether to lift US sanctions on Chinese oil companies purchasing Iranian crude.

Trump’s remarks offered little clarity on whether Beijing would use its influence with Tehran to help de-escalate the conflict, even as China publicly criticised the war.

“I’m not asking for any favors because, when you ask for favors, you have to do favors in return,” Trump told reporters when asked whether Xi had firmly committed to pressuring Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for global oil shipments.

Xi himself did not publicly discuss Iran following the meetings. However, China’s foreign ministry issued a sharply worded statement expressing frustration over the continuing conflict.

“This conflict, which should never have happened, has no reason to continue,” the ministry said.

The Strait of Hormuz has faced severe disruptions since Iran restricted shipping following US-Israeli military operations launched earlier this year. The route is one of the world’s most strategically important energy corridors, carrying nearly one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies before the conflict erupted.

During his visit to Beijing, Trump underscored the US position on the issue.

“We don’t want them to have a nuclear weapon, we want the straits open,” he said while appearing alongside Xi.

The White House later stated that Xi had opposed any Iranian effort to impose tolls on ships using the strait.

“I am not going to be much more patient. They should make a deal,” Trump said during an interview on Fox News’ “Hannity”.

Trump also claimed that Xi had promised China would not provide military equipment to Tehran.

“That’s a big statement,” Trump said during the interview.

The US president additionally indicated that Washington could reconsider sanctions targeting Chinese refiners importing Iranian oil.

“We talked about that and I’m going to make a decision over the next few days,” Trump said.

The ongoing crisis has pushed oil prices higher and raised fears of wider economic consequences. Markets reacted nervously as traders worried that prolonged disruption in the Gulf could fuel inflation.

Although Washington paused direct military strikes against Iran last month, the United States has continued a naval blockade in the region. Tehran has maintained that it will not fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz unless the blockade is lifted.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said Tehran had received indications that Washington remained interested in negotiations.

“We hope that, with the advancement of negotiations, we will reach a good conclusion so that the Strait of Hormuz can be completely secured and we can expedite the normalisation of traffic through the strait,” Araqchi said during a visit to New Delhi.

At the same time, he warned that Iran was prepared for both diplomacy and renewed conflict.

Iran is “prepared for a resumption of fighting as well as for diplomatic solutions,” Araqchi said, adding that ships not linked to countries attacking Iran could still move through the strait if they coordinated with Tehran.

Trump, meanwhile, continued to pressure Tehran over its nuclear programme, signalling growing frustration over stalled negotiations.

“I am not going to be much more patient. They should make a deal,” he said in the Fox News interview.

Iran has long denied seeking nuclear weapons but has refused to halt nuclear research or hand over its stockpile of enriched uranium, which remains a key sticking point in talks with Washington.

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With inputs from Reuters