Overview
- President Trump, speaking Friday after two days with Xi in Beijing, said he will decide soon on a major Taiwan weapons package and stressed he does not want a war “9,500 miles away.”
- According to the White House, both leaders agreed Iran must not obtain nuclear weapons and supported reopening the Strait of Hormuz, though concrete, verifiable steps were not detailed.
- Trump said Xi promised not to send military equipment to Iran, a claim made after the summit that Chinese official accounts have not confirmed.
- The New York Times reported that U.S. and Israeli forces are preparing options to restart airstrikes on Iran as early as next week if diplomacy falters, signaling active contingency planning.
- The UK and France announced political support on May 12 for a separate, defensive multinational mission to protect shipping and clear mines in the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint for roughly one‑fifth of global oil flows.