Economy April 15, 2026 07:59 AM

Trump Says China Will Stop Sending Arms to Iran as He Announces Permanent Opening of Strait of Hormuz

President frames move as a cooperative step with Beijing, saying the Strait is now permanently open and weapons shipments to Iran will cease under the arrangement

By Maya Rios
Trump Says China Will Stop Sending Arms to Iran as He Announces Permanent Opening of Strait of Hormuz

President Donald Trump announced that he has permanently opened the Strait of Hormuz and said China has agreed not to send weapons to Iran as part of cooperative efforts between Washington and Beijing. In a post on Truth Social, he said China welcomed the action and described U.S.-China relations as working together 'smartly and very well.' The announcement contains claims about an arrangement with Beijing but provides no further details or independent verification.

Key Points

  • President Trump announced the permanent opening of the Strait of Hormuz and said China welcomed the move.
  • Trump said China agreed not to send weapons to Iran as part of the arrangement between Washington and Beijing.
  • The president described U.S.-China relations in this matter as cooperative, saying they are "working together smartly and very well."

U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced that he has permanently opened the Strait of Hormuz and that China has agreed to refrain from sending weapons to Iran as part of a cooperative arrangement between the two countries regarding the strategic waterway.

In a post on Truth Social, the president stated that Beijing "is very happy that I am permanently opening the Strait of Hormuz. I am doing it for them, also - And the World. This situation will never happen again."

Trump added in his post that the arrangement includes a Chinese commitment not to send weapons to Iran. He further characterized the current bilateral relationship as cooperative, saying the two governments "are working together smartly and very well."

The statements present the president's account of an agreement with China tied to the status of the Strait of Hormuz. The public remarks focus on the permanence of the opening, the reported Chinese response of approval, and a pledge by Beijing not to supply weapons to Iran as part of the described arrangement.

Context and immediate implications

The president's message highlights three linked assertions: that the Strait of Hormuz has been permanently opened, that China welcomed that decision, and that Beijing agreed not to provide weapons to Iran. The announcement frames those points as elements of cooperation between Washington and Beijing.

Direct quotations from the announcement

"China is very happy that I am permanently opening the Strait of Hormuz. I am doing it for them, also - And the World. This situation will never happen again," the president wrote. He also said the two countries are "working together smartly and very well."

What the public record in this article does not provide

  • Details about the nature, terms, or verification of the reported agreement with China are not provided in the statements quoted here.
  • No additional information is given on enforcement mechanisms or third-party confirmation of the claimed Chinese commitment to stop sending weapons to Iran.

The president's post presents a succinct account of the claimed arrangement; the remarks do not include supporting documentation or further explanation within the text presented here.

Risks

  • The announcement provides no details or verification of the agreement with China, leaving uncertainty about the terms and durability of the claimed commitments.
  • The permanence of the Strait of Hormuz opening and the cessation of weapons shipments to Iran are presented as presidential assertions without supporting documentation.
  • Reliance on the public statements alone creates uncertainty about enforcement or monitoring mechanisms for the reported China-Iran restrictions.

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