Perdue emphasized that the U.S. had previously communicated that any direct or indirect aid to Iran—including intelligence, parts, or military equipment—was “totally unacceptable.” “President Trump made that very clear again yesterday,” Perdue said in an interview. He further noted that the U.S. explicitly told China that the Iran issue is independent of the Taiwan question, attempting to decouple the two geopolitical flashpoints.
The diplomatic pressure comes against a backdrop of specific security concerns. U.S. officials have expressed worry since the start of the conflict that China is supplying Iran with air defense systems and components for drone manufacturing. In recent weeks, it has emerged that Iran has utilized high-resolution imagery from Chinese commercial satellites to target U.S. military bases in the Middle East, as well as aircraft carriers and other Navy vessels in the Gulf and Arabian Sea. In response to this intelligence, U.S. military officials said they have altered operational procedures to make it more difficult for Iranian forces to locate and track naval assets.
Perdue claimed that Beijing has responded to these warnings. “We have seen evidence that they have listened to us. They pulled some things down,” he said, suggesting that China has withdrawn certain supportive actions following the presidential discussion. However, the official acknowledgment of reduced assistance does not confirm a complete cessation of all intelligence or commercial satellite data flows.
While the U.S. pursued this direct channel with Beijing, a separate diplomatic track advanced in New York. On Tuesday, U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner held indirect negotiations with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. Qatari officials facilitated the talks by passing messages between the parties. According to sources with direct knowledge, Araghchi presented Iran’s conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz and resuming nuclear discussions. These terms, which align with previous public statements by Tehran, include the U.S. lifting its naval blockade, removing sanctions on Iranian oil sales, and reinstating a regional ceasefire within one week.
U.S. negotiators rejected the premise that Iran has unilateral control over the strait, stating that Tehran cannot make demands regarding its reopening. Dozens of oil tankers are currently transiting the Strait of Hormuz daily under U.S. protection, moving millions of barrels of oil to global markets. While these volumes remain below pre-war levels, they are sufficient to alleviate immediate global energy pressure.
Chinese state media offered a contrasting account of the Trump-Xi conversation, reporting that Xi urged Trump to de-escalate tensions with Iran by returning to the June memorandum of understanding and reaching a nuclear deal. “China has encouraged relevant parties to stay committed to peaceful solutions and maintain the momentum of talks,” the state media quoted Xi as saying.
Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, who serves as a key mediator, met with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in New York on Thursday to discuss the diplomatic efforts. A source familiar with the mediation said that Qatar and Iran are now awaiting a formal response from the White House to the Iranian proposal. The source described the current diplomatic landscape as having “some positive movements,” though the final outcome remains undetermined.
