'Don't need China's help with Iran, will win either peacefully or otherwise': Donald Trump downplays Beijing's role

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said he does not believe Washington requires Beijing’s assistance to end the conflict with Iran or loosen Tehran’s control over the Strait of Hormuz.

Ahead of his departure for China for a key summit with President Xi Jinping, Trump told reporters, “I don't think we need any help with Iran. We'll win it one way or the other, peacefully or otherwise.”

More than a month after a fragile ceasefire came into effect, the United States and Iran continue to remain divided on conditions to end hostilities. Washington has demanded that Tehran abandon its nuclear ambitions and ease restrictions in the strategic waterway. Iran, on the other hand, has sought compensation for war-related losses, an end to US sanctions and a halt to fighting across the region, including in Lebanon, where Israel continues military operations against the Iran-backed Hezbollah. Trump rejected Iran’s demands, calling them “garbage.”

Iran has meanwhile strengthened its hold over the Strait of Hormuz by entering energy transport arrangements with Iraq and Pakistan, according to Reuters report.

Ship-tracking data showed that a Chinese supertanker carrying nearly two million barrels of Iraqi crude attempted to pass through the strait on Wednesday. If completed, it would become the third known Chinese oil shipment through the channel since US and Israeli strikes on Iran began on February 28, added the report.

Reports also indicated that other nations are considering similar arrangements with Tehran, potentially reinforcing Iran’s influence over the critical shipping route used for transporting oil, fertilisers and petrochemicals.

The Trump administration said on Tuesday that senior US and Chinese officials had agreed last month that no country should impose tolls on vessels passing through the region, projecting a united stance ahead of the summit. China, a key buyer of Iranian oil and a close ally of Tehran, has not publicly challenged the statement.