Trump doubts China or Russia are helping Iran

US President Donald Trump said Monday that he does not believe China and Russia are helping Iran, saying they have “too much to lose”.

Trump was responding on Truth Social to comments that China and Russia were helping Iran. “If they are, it's at a very low level, but I don't believe they are at all,” he wrote.

Trump has faced pressure over reports that Chinese and Russian entities have supplied Iran with intelligence for attacks on US troops. The Kremlin has denied US media reports that Moscow passed sensitive intelligence to Iran, including the locations of US warships and aircraft in the region.

Beijing has denied reports that Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation sent chipmaking tools to Iran. China and Russia have also been accused of helping Iran bypass international sanctions targeting oil sales.

China and Russia both maintain strong ties with Iran but have not officially announced direct involvement in the Middle East war, which began with US-Israeli strikes on February 28. Russia has sent humanitarian aid to Iran, while China has condemned US and Israeli strikes and criticised Iranian attacks on Gulf states and the blocking of the Strait of Hormuz.