"They Have a Lot to Lose": Trump Doesn't Believe China and Russia Are Helping Iran

US President Donald Trump said late Monday that he does not believe China and Russia are helping Iran "at all," adding that Moscow and Beijing have "a lot to lose" if they provide support to Tehran.

Trump mentioned on the Truth Social platform that he had reviewed comments from his critics and opponents claiming that China and Russia were aiding Iran.

Trump wrote: "If they are doing so, it is at a very low level, but I don't think they are doing it at all. They have a lot to lose, and we would know about it, and we would know very quickly."

Last July, Trump stated that he was confident China and Russia would not help Tehran in its war with the United States, but warned that if they became involved, it "would be very bad for them."

Trump previously described Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin as "neutral" during the conflict with Iran.

Close ties between Moscow, Beijing, and Tehran
Both Moscow and Beijing maintain close relations with Tehran. Russia has warned that war against Iran could lead to a nuclear arms race in the Middle East, while Beijing condemned Washington's attacks on Tehran, considering them a blatant violation of Iranian sovereignty.

In September, Trump warned Chinese President Xi Jinping against providing support to Iran during the latter's visit to Washington, receiving assurances that China would not do so, according to the US Ambassador to China at the time.

This warning came amid reports that China supplied Iran with shoulder-fired air defense systems, and that Tehran used means to circumvent sanctions on its oil exports with Chinese assistance.

Also in September, Trump downplayed a report stating that Iran had obtained satellite images of a military base in Jordan from Chinese sources, prior to an attack targeting the base in July that killed three US soldiers.