Trump Thanks China and Russia, Partners of Iran, for Diplomatic Help
When President Trump gave thanks to those who had helped him reach an initial cease-fire agreement with Iran, he praised two world leaders he has called his friends — Xi Jinping of China and Vladimir V. Putin of Russia.
The leaders, he said, had aided the Americans in sealing the deal with the Iranians, or at least had helped set the conditions by not sending oil and gas tankers or other commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz to compromise a U.S. naval blockade aimed at pressuring Iran.
“He was a total gentleman,” the American president said of Mr. Xi in an interview with The New York Times on Sunday, as he was celebrating his 80th birthday with a dinner and an Ultimate Fighting Championship cage match on the South Lawn of the White House. “He didn’t send a tanker, along with 20 destroyers on each side of it, to try and break up the blockade.”
The White House did not reply to a request for comment on Monday on what Mr. Trump meant when he said Mr. Xi and Mr. Putin had helped the Americans and Iranians reach the initial agreement. The State Department referred questions to the White House. The Russian Embassy in Washington did not respond to a request for comment.
The Chinese Embassy also did not send a reply, but responded after this article was published on Monday afternoon. It said in a statement that Mr. Xi had put out a declaration with four principles for Middle East peace and that China “has been working tirelessly for the end of fighting and peace.”
