Iran War Day 75: Trump Meets Xi in Beijing as Gulf Tensions Mount

U.S. President Donald Trump departed for Beijing on Tuesday (local time) for a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Trump said the two leaders would have a “long conversation” about Iran, though trade remains the primary focus of the visit. The meeting comes amid escalating tensions around the Iran-related conflict, with Tehran accusing Washington and Israel of fabricating “grounds for brutal actions,” while Trump insists the conflict will end “peacefully or in another way.”

In a related development, Kuwait announced it had arrested four suspected members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) accused of planning “hostile” activities after attempting to infiltrate the country via Bubiyan Island. Meanwhile, Qatar accused Tehran of “weaponizing” the Strait of Hormuz and using it to “blackmail” Gulf states, as vital energy supplies remain trapped in the region.

Iran

Iran’s chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, stated Washington must accept Tehran’s latest peace plan or face defeat. The statement followed Trump, under increasing pressure over the war’s impact on the U.S. economy, saying a U.S.-Iran ceasefire is “on life support” and he is considering resuming naval escort convoys through the Strait of Hormuz.

According to The New York Times, classified U.S. intelligence assessments indicate Iran retains significant missile capability, with about 70% of mobile launchers and pre-war missile stockpiles still operational, and has restored access to 30 of 33 missile launchers along the Strait of Hormuz.

War Diplomacy

Ship-tracking data shows the Chinese supertanker Yuan Hua Hu was transiting the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, passing Iran’s Larak Island while leaving the Gulf. Separately, Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem declared the group’s weapons are not part of upcoming ceasefire negotiations between Lebanon and Israel, calling them an “internal Lebanese matter.”

Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani warned Iran against using the Strait of Hormuz as a tool to “blackmail” Gulf countries. He also noted his recent visit to Washington was aimed at supporting Pakistani mediation efforts to help end the conflict. Al Jazeera’s correspondent in Tehran reports Iranian officials deny accusations of weaponizing the Strait of Hormuz, asserting vessels can still transit safely through routes coordinated by the IRGC Navy.

Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles said Australia will join a “strictly defensive” mission led by France and Britain to ensure maritime security through the strait, and will contribute one surveillance aircraft to protect the UAE from Iranian drone attacks. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan expressed confidence that both the U.S. and Iran have “sufficient will” to end the conflict, warning escalation would deepen global economic instability and regional tensions.

Gulf

The UAE’s main gas processing facility, one of the world’s largest, will not return to full capacity until next year after being hit in the Iran war. ADNOC Gas said the Habshan complex in Abu Dhabi is operating at 60% capacity. Meanwhile, Kuwait announced the arrest of four men allegedly affiliated with the IRGC after they attempted to infiltrate Bubiyan Island by sea and injured a Kuwaiti soldier. Iran denied the allegations and condemned the arrest of its citizens.

United States

Trump said he does not believe the U.S. needs China’s help to end the Iran-related war but confirmed the issue will still be raised in talks with Xi Jinping. “We’ll have a long conversation about it,” Trump told reporters before departing for Beijing. However, he added: “We have a lot to discuss. Frankly, I wouldn’t say Iran is one of them, because the Iran situation is under control.”

Facing growing domestic pressure over conflict-related price hikes, Trump said the war “won’t last long” and argued ending it would sharply lower oil prices and inflation. He told reporters that hundreds of oil tankers are waiting to leave the region and predicted energy and stock markets would surge after the conflict ends. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the war has cost Washington at least $29 billion in munitions and equipment over 74 days, not including base damage. He said military escalation remains an option. Democratic lawmakers have protested amid growing public concern over rising gasoline prices and uncertainty about the war’s objectives.

Lebanon

Lebanon on Tuesday called on the U.S. ambassador in Beirut to pressure Israel to halt attacks, after Israel bombed the country on Monday despite a ceasefire in the Israel-Hezbollah war. Hezbollah claimed it struck an Israeli Merkava tank near the town of Hula in the Nabatieh region, with leader Naim Qassem vowing to turn the battlefield into “hell” for Israeli forces. Experts warn Israel’s war in Lebanon has displaced hundreds of thousands of students, destroyed schools, and deepened inequality in an education system already strained by economic crisis. Al Jazeera’s correspondent in southern Lebanon reports an Israeli attack killed at least two paramedics from the Lebanese Civil Defense Force and the wounded man they were trying to evacuate near the city of Tyre.