Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confirmed that Beijing has scaled back the support it provides to Tehran. This decrease follows White House talks in Washington where Donald Trump warned President Xi Jinping that any direct or indirect assistance to Iran was totally unacceptable. Trump later confirmed to reporters that the conflict in Iran was a subject of their discussion and stated, "I think we're gonna do great."

The U.S. pressure campaign follows reports that China sent about 1,300 air shipments of dual-use drone and missile components to Iran’s Defense Ministry during the first half of 2026. While Ambassador David Perdue said the U.S. has already seen evidence that Beijing is curtailing some activities, some Republican senators expressed dismay over Trump's friendly demeanor toward Xi after allegations that China helped Iran target U.S. troops.