Trump Says U.S. Does Not Need China to End Iran War
U.S. President Donald Trump said he does not believe the United States needs China's assistance to end the war with Iran, despite fading prospects for a lasting peace agreement and growing concerns over Tehran's tightening control of the Strait of Hormuz.
Speaking to reporters ahead of his upcoming trip to Beijing for a U.S.-China leaders' summit, Trump said the United States would ultimately prevail in the conflict 'through peaceful means or otherwise,' adding that he did not think the United States required Beijing's support on the Iran issue.
A fragile ceasefire has remained in place for more than a month, but there has been no progress toward a broader agreement to formally end hostilities.
Sources familiar with the matter said Iran appears to have strengthened its control over the Strait of Hormuz after reaching arrangements with Iraq and Pakistan to transport oil and liquefied natural gas through the region to those countries. The sources added that other nations are exploring similar arrangements, potentially entrenching Tehran's long-term influence over the strategic waterway.
The Trump administration said on Tuesday that senior U.S. and Chinese officials agreed last month that no country should be allowed to impose transit fees on vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz, a statement seen as an effort to demonstrate policy alignment ahead of the summit. Beijing did not publicly dispute the U.S. characterization.
U.S. demands include the dismantling of Iran's nuclear program and the lifting of its blockade in the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran has put forward its own conditions, including compensation for wartime losses, an end to U.S. sanctions and blockades, and a cessation of fighting across all fronts, including in Lebanon, where U.S. ally Israel is engaged in conflict with the Iran-backed Hezbollah. Trump on Monday dismissed those demands as 'garbage'.
Oil Prices Extend Rally
Brent Crude Oil futures extended gains, rising above $107 per barrel as the Strait of Hormuz remained effectively blocked amid stalled negotiations.
The United States Central Command said the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) was conducting U.S. blockade operations in the Arabian Sea, redirecting 65 commercial vessels and disabling four others.
The United States Department of Defense said the war has so far cost $29 billion, an increase of $4 billion from estimates provided at the end of last month.
The conflict has also driven up gasoline prices across the United States. U.S. consumer prices rose sharply for a second consecutive month in April, pushing annual inflation to its highest level in nearly three years.
According to a poll completed on Monday, roughly two-thirds of Americans — including one-third of Republicans and nearly all Democrats — said Trump had not clearly explained why the United States entered the war.