The United States government, led by Donald Trump, has responded to allegations of cooperation between China and Russia with Iran by stating that these countries likely do not have involvement in this matter and "have much to lose."
Trump's stance on China and Russia
The Trump administration emphasized on Monday that these two countries cannot assist Iran in military matters due to their own interests. Trump mentioned this in a post on his social media, stating: "If they are helping Iran, it is at a very low level, but I do not believe that at all."
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He also pointed out that "China and Russia have a lot to lose, and we will quickly become aware of this." These remarks come as Trump had previously stated in July that he does not believe in cooperation between China and Russia in selling arms to Iran, describing it as a serious threat to them.
China and Russia's relations with Iran
Both China and Russia have strong relations with Iran, but they have refrained from direct involvement in the Middle Eastern war that began on February 28 with US and Israeli attacks. Since the onset of this war, Russia has sent humanitarian aid to Iran, but has not officially announced any specific assistance.
The Kremlin has also denied US media reports that Moscow has transferred sensitive information to Iran, including the locations of US ships and military aircraft in the region. China has also strongly criticized US and Israeli attacks and condemned Iran's attacks on Gulf countries and the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
China has previously provided Iran with drones and dual-use equipment while denying reports of sending chip manufacturing tools to Iran. Additionally, China and Russia have been accused of assisting Iran in circumventing international sanctions targeting the country's oil sales.
The Trump administration has adopted a milder tone towards the leaders of China and Russia compared to some of Washington's allies, believing that they should be respected as leaders of major global powers.
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