President Donald Trump returned from a two-day summit in Beijing warning that his patience with Iran is nearly exhausted and that he expects Tehran to make a deal, while China signaled frustration with the ongoing conflict but stopped well short of committing to pressure Iran directly.
Flying back to Washington on Air Force One, Trump told reporters he and Chinese President Xi Jinping had agreed that Iran must reopen the Strait of Hormuz, but China’s public statements gave no indication Beijing intends to actively push Tehran toward a resolution.
Trump Calls on Iran to Act
Trump has been clear about what he wants: Iran’s nuclear program brought under control and the Strait of Hormuz reopened to commercial traffic.
“We don’t want them to have a nuclear weapon, we want the straits open,” Trump said during his time in Beijing alongside Xi.
In an interview aired on Fox News’ Hannity program, Trump sharpened his tone, signaling he is approaching the limits of his willingness to wait for a diplomatic breakthrough.
“I am not going to be much more patient. They should make a deal,” Trump said.
Talks between Washington and Tehran have been at a standstill since last week, when both sides rejected each other’s most recent proposals. Iran has refused to end nuclear research or surrender its hidden stockpile of enriched uranium, which remains a central demand of the U.S. side.
China Expresses Frustration but Offers No Commitments
Beijing’s public response to the Iran war question was notably direct in tone but carefully limited in scope.
China’s foreign ministry issued a statement saying the conflict “should never have happened” and “has no reason to continue.” However, Xi offered no public commitment to push Iran on the nuclear or Hormuz issues.
Trump acknowledged he had not asked Xi for specific favors, explaining that requesting favors creates obligations in return.
“I’m not asking for any favors because, when you ask for favors, you have to do favors in return,” Trump said.
Trump did claim that Xi promised not to send military equipment to Iran, describing it as a significant commitment. The White House also said Xi made clear China’s opposition to any Iranian effort to charge tolls for passage through the strait.
China has previously dismissed reports of weapons shipment plans as “groundless smears.”
Analysts remain skeptical that Beijing will push Iran hard, given Iran’s strategic value to China as a counterweight to U.S. influence in the region. China is also Iran’s largest oil buyer, having purchased more than 80% of Iran’s sanctioned oil exports in the prior year.
Oil Prices Rise, Treasury Yields Hit Yearly Highs
Financial markets responded to the lack of diplomatic progress with renewed concern.
Oil prices climbed around 3% to approximately $109 per barrel as traders priced in the continued absence of a resolution to the supply disruption. U.S. Treasury yields hit their highest level in roughly a year as markets began factoring in the possibility that the Federal Reserve may need to raise interest rates to combat inflation driven by the prolonged blockade.
Iran Says It Is Ready for Either Outcome
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said Tehran had received signals from Washington indicating the U.S. is willing to resume talks, and expressed hope that negotiations could eventually lead to a full normalization of Hormuz traffic.
However, Araqchi was equally clear that Iran does not trust the United States, pointing to previous rounds of diplomacy that were interrupted by air strikes. He said Iran is prepared for both a diplomatic resolution and a resumption of fighting, whichever Washington chooses to pursue.
Iran state media reported that more than 31 million Iranians had signed a campaign demonstrating public readiness to defend the country, while the government began weapons training for pro-government volunteers, signaling that Tehran is bracing for the possibility of renewed conflict.
Ceasefire in Lebanon Extended, UAE Builds Alternative Pipeline
On a parallel diplomatic track, the U.S. State Department announced that Israel and Lebanon had agreed to a 45-day extension of their fragile ceasefire, which had been due to expire on Sunday.
The extension removes one near-term flashpoint, though Hezbollah has opposed the talks and Israel is insisting on the group’s disarmament as a condition of any lasting agreement.
The UAE separately announced it would accelerate construction of a new pipeline to its port in Fujairah, located just outside the strait, after a vessel bound for the port was sunk earlier in the week and another was boarded and redirected to Iran.
The pipeline project reflects a broader regional effort to build alternative export infrastructure that bypasses the Hormuz chokepoint entirely.
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