Rantburg

Today's Front Page   View All of Fri 09/25/2026 View Thu 09/24/2026 View Wed 09/23/2026 View Tue 09/22/2026 View Mon 09/21/2026 View Sun 09/20/2026 View Sat 09/19/2026
2026-07-30 China-Japan-Koreas
Trump's four-word response after China defied him with secret smuggling of weapons to Iran
[Daily Mail, where America gets its news] Donald Trump was shocked to hear that China is reportedly supplying weapons to Iran, responding with some consternation.

China and Iran struck a deal for Beijing to send up to 400 Chinese-made shoulder-fired air defense launchers to the Islamic Republic, three sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.

The deal will enable Tehran's fighters to more readily defend themselves against US air assets as American forces enjoy air superiority over Iran.

Trump has repeatedly said that he's spoken to Chinese President Xi Jinping, and that the foreign leader 'agreed not to send weapons to Iran.'

The president even threatened China over the weekend, saying it would 'be very bad for them' if they did.

But the President was seemingly caught off guard by the latest Reuters report.

'That would be surprising,' Trump responded to a question about the report. 'I mean, things like that happen.'

'He (Xi) told me very strongly he wouldn't partake, and he knows I'd be quite disappointed.'

But the Chinese Foreign Ministry flatly denied the reporting about the arms sale.

'The relevant reports are completely groundless. China has consistently played a role ⁠in promoting peace and ending the conflict.'

The sources who spoke with Reuters cautioned that though the arms deal had been signed, details of the agreement, like delivery schedules and quantities, may still be changed.

They shared that under the agreement, shipments of the air defense systems will depart from the western Chinese city of Urumqi before traveling to Pakistan and then on to Iran.

'Speculations of Pakistan being involved in supply of Air Defence weapons to Iran from China are absolutely concocted and false,' Pakistan's military media, ISPR, said in a statement.

Yes at #8 and Abu's cmt below. OBTW don't forget to hit the OFF switch on your Chinese GPS targeting satellite and don't even think about hand-help AAA rockets.
# id) ?>
Posted by Skidmark 2026-07-30 00:00|| E-Mail|| Front Page|| [423 views ]  Top
 File under: Govt of Iran 

1 I somehow doubt he was "shocked."
Posted by Besoeker 2026-07-30 01:08||   2026-07-30 01:08|| Front Page Top

2 Trump’s Iran strategy: avoid major war before midterms, prepare for the next round
Posted by Grom the Reflective 2026-07-30 02:45||   2026-07-30 02:45|| Front Page Top

3 Tehran is stalling as Washington wavers And Israel is watching the Hormuz drama eclipse the real fight: stopping a nuclear Iran..
Posted by Grom the Reflective 2026-07-30 02:46||   2026-07-30 02:46|| Front Page Top

4 

Should we be wondering if certain groups and the Media are trying to stir things up, for great profits and NEWS revenues?
Posted by NN2N1 2026-07-30 04:46||   2026-07-30 04:46|| Front Page Top

5 ...well, if so many are in the pay of the CCP right?
Posted by Procopius2k 2026-07-30 06:55||   2026-07-30 06:55|| Front Page Top

6 I would bet in private it was more like, "Watch them smuggle anyway."
Posted by DarthVader 2026-07-30 08:55||   2026-07-30 08:55|| Front Page Top

7 "Nuts"?
Posted by Procopius2k 2026-07-30 11:09||   2026-07-30 11:09|| Front Page Top

8 IIUC, the Chinese need the Hormuz Strait to be opened a lot more than we do. Trump could keep that sucker closed for an indefinte period and let Chinese gas pumps run dry. That'd be fun to watch.
Posted by Abu Uluque 2026-07-30 12:19||   2026-07-30 12:19|| Front Page Top

9 Probably “show me the money”
Posted by Blossom Elmolush6088 2026-07-30 12:35||   2026-07-30 12:35|| Front Page Top

19:25 Silentbrick
19:08 Frank G
18:42 NoMoreBS
18:28 Mercutio
18:10 Chantry
17:38 Seeking Cure For Ignorance
17:24 Seeking Cure For Ignorance
17:12 Seeking Cure For Ignorance
16:49 trailing wife
16:45 trailing wife
16:25 trailing wife
16:24 trailing wife
16:21 Gloluter Phavick7614
16:18 Gloluter Phavick7614
14:46 NN2N1
14:13 Rambler
14:09 trailing wife
13:26 Mercutio
12:59 Skidmark
12:39 Skidmark
12:34 mossomo
12:30 mossomo
12:15 MikeKozlowski
11:56 Procopius2k
Merry-Go-Blog










Paypal:
Google
Search WWW Search rantburg.com