Trump Dismisses Russia, China Helping Iran: 'Too Much to Lose' — SkimNews
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- Trump dismissed claims that Russia and China are helping Iran as coming from "Radical Left Morons and Lunatics," posting on Truth Social that the two countries "have too much to lose" by getting involved and that the US "would know about it, and know about it very fast."
- Putin held a 1.5-hour phone call with Trump last week, after which Trump announced Russia would supply 300,000 tons of diesel immediately, 500,000 tons in November, 1,000,000 tons thereafter, and potentially 3,000,000 more tons — linking the deal to "total control of the Strait of Hormuz" and predicting diesel prices would drop "in record numbers."
- Xi Jinping visited Washington in September 2026 for a three-day summit — his second meeting with Trump in under six months — resulting in a White House fact sheet showing $30 billion in favorable tariff treatment for non-sensitive goods in each direction.
- China agreed to import at least 10 million metric tonnes of US coal in 2027 and 2028, per the White House fact sheet, and both nations operationalized the U.S.-China Board of Trade and Board of Investment established at the May 2026 Beijing summit.
Why it matters: Trump's "too much to lose" argument is grounded in economic leverage he is actively building — a multi-million-ton Russian diesel deal and a $30 billion US-China tariff arrangement with 10 million tonnes of coal purchases — giving him direct bilateral stakes to make the dismissal credible to allies and markets watching Iran-related escalation.
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