Trump’s remarks followed a second day of talks with Xi in Beijing covering Iran, Taiwan, trade and regional security, amid mounting concern over energy supplies and maritime instability linked to the conflict.
“We’ve settled a lot of different problems that other people wouldn’t have been able to solve,” Trump told reporters after the meeting.

The White House said both leaders agreed the Strait of Hormuz — through which roughly one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments passed before the conflict — must remain open to international shipping.

Iran effectively curtailed most commercial traffic through the strategic waterway following U.S.-Israeli strikes that began on Feb. 28, triggering major disruption in global energy markets and renewed fears over supply-chain shocks.

Trump said Xi had also assured Washington that China would not provide military equipment to Tehran.
“He said he’s not going to give military equipment, that’s a big statement,” Trump said during an interview with Fox News’ “Hannity.”

China, Iran’s largest oil customer and one of its closest strategic partners, did not publicly confirm details of the discussions. However, China’s foreign ministry criticized the continuation of the war, saying the conflict “should never have happened” and had no justification to continue.

The war has become a growing political and economic challenge for the White House ahead of U.S. midterm elections later this year, with prolonged instability pushing up global energy costs and disrupting shipping routes across the Gulf.

Trump signaled increasing impatience with stalled diplomatic efforts involving Tehran.

“I am not going to be much more patient. They should make a deal,” Trump said in the televised interview.
Negotiations aimed at ending the conflict have remained deadlocked after Iran rejected demands to halt its nuclear program and surrender enriched uranium stockpiles. Tehran maintains its nuclear activities are intended for civilian purposes and denies seeking atomic weapons capability.

Trump suggested the issue of Iran’s uranium reserves was partly symbolic from Washington’s perspective.
“I just feel better if I got it,” he said, referring to the stockpile. “It’s more for public relations than it is for anything else.”

The White House said Xi expressed opposition to the militarisation of the Strait of Hormuz and rejected proposals linked to imposing tolls on shipping transiting the corridor, an idea Iranian officials have previously raised.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in an interview from Beijing that China had strong economic incentives to help restore maritime traffic through the strait.

Analysts, however, questioned whether Beijing would significantly pressure Tehran, given Iran’s strategic value as a counterweight to U.S. influence in the Middle East.

The conflict has increasingly spilled into regional shipping lanes.

An Indian cargo vessel carrying livestock from Africa to the United Arab Emirates sank off Oman on Wednesday after reportedly being struck by a missile or drone, according to British maritime security firm Vanguard. India said all 14 crew members were rescued.

Separately, Britain’s UK Maritime Trade Operations agency reported that unauthorized personnel boarded a vessel anchored near the UAE port of Fujairah and redirected it toward Iranian waters.

Vanguard said the ship was believed to have been seized by Iranian personnel.

Fujairah, located outside the Strait of Hormuz on the Gulf of Oman, serves as the UAE’s only oil export terminal bypassing the narrow maritime chokepoint.
Diplomatic efforts linked to the broader regional conflict continued separately in Washington, where Lebanese and Israeli officials held talks on Thursday that a senior U.S. State Department official described as productive and positive.

Trump has said the objectives of the campaign against Iran include dismantling Tehran’s nuclear program, reducing its regional military capabilities and increasing pressure on the Iranian leadership.

The White House said Trump and Xi agreed during meetings in Beijing that the Strait of Hormuz should remain open and that Iran must not obtain nuclear weapons, as maritime incidents near the strategic waterway intensified pressure on global oil markets.

Trump, speaking in an interview aired Thursday on Fox News, urged Tehran to reach an agreement with Washington after diplomatic efforts to end the conflict stalled.

“I am not going to be much more patient,” Trump said. “They should make a deal.”

The comments came as Iran continued restricting access through the Strait of Hormuz following U.S.-Israeli attacks that began on Feb. 28 and triggered one of the most severe disruptions to global energy flows in decades.

China, Iran’s largest oil customer and a close strategic partner, has emerged as a key diplomatic player in efforts to stabilize the region and restore shipping traffic through the narrow maritime chokepoint, which previously handled about one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies.

The White House said Xi opposed further militarization of the strait and rejected any attempt to impose transit tolls on vessels using the route.

Trump also said Xi assured him China would not provide military equipment to Iran and expressed interest in increasing Chinese purchases of American oil to reduce dependence on Gulf shipping lanes.
On the issue of Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile, Trump suggested securing the material was more politically symbolic than strategically essential.

“I don’t think it’s necessary except from a public relations standpoint,” Trump said during the interview.
Meanwhile, maritime security concerns escalated further after an Indian cargo vessel carrying livestock from Africa to the United Arab Emirates sank off Oman on Wednesday following what security analysts said was likely a missile or drone strike.

India said all 14 crew members were rescued by Oman’s coast guard and condemned the attack.
Separately, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency reported that unauthorized personnel boarded a vessel anchored off the UAE port of Fujairah and steered it toward Iranian waters.

Security consultancy Vanguard said the ship was believed to have been seized by Iranian personnel while at anchor.

Despite the disruptions, Iranian authorities indicated they were permitting limited shipping traffic through the strait under negotiated arrangements with selected countries.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said 30 vessels had passed through Hormuz since Wednesday evening, although shipping levels remained far below pre-war averages.
Shipping analytics firm Kpler estimated that roughly 10 vessels crossed the strait during the past 24 hours, compared with about 140 vessels on a typical day before the conflict.

Diplomatic efforts to end the war remain stalled after Tehran and Washington rejected each other’s latest proposals last week.

Washington is demanding Iran surrender its stockpile of enriched uranium and halt further enrichment activities, while Tehran is seeking sanctions relief, compensation for war-related damage and recognition of its control over the strait.

A senior U.S. admiral told a Senate committee on Thursday that Iran’s ability to threaten neighboring countries and American interests had been “significantly degraded” by the conflict, though reports indicate Tehran retains substantial missile and drone capabilities.

The conflict has also reverberated across the wider region, including renewed instability involving the Iran-backed group Hezbollah in Lebanon.

The UAE blamed Iran for the attack, which occurred on Monday at an energy installation along the Gulf coast. Iranian state television said the Islamic republic had “no pre-planned program” to target oil facilities in the UAE.

India’s foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said New Delhi “calls for immediate cessation of these hostilities and the targeting of civilian infrastructure and innocent civilians,” adding that the country supports efforts toward a peaceful resolution.

He also urged “free and unimpeded navigation and commerce through the Strait of Hormuz in keeping with international law.”The incident comes amid broader disruptions to energy supply chains since the onset of conflict in the Middle East in late February. India, the world’s third-largest oil importer, typically sources about half of its crude oil through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for global energy shipments.

Analysts have warned that India’s reliance on imported energy, combined with relatively modest strategic reserves compared with major consumers such as China, leaves it exposed to price volatility and supply shocks linked to regional instability.Shipping and import data indicate that New Delhi has moved to offset disruptions by diversifying supply, including increased reliance on Russian crude.

This shift follows earlier efforts to reduce dependence on such imports amid pressure from U.S. trade measures.India has reiterated its readiness to support diplomatic initiatives aimed at stabilizing the region, as tensions continue to threaten key maritime routes and energy infrastructure.