China and Russia need not bear this "blame"! On October 20, Trump stated in an interview: "Russia could have done more for Iran. Russia has done very little. China could have done more for Iran. When China did little—or perhaps nothing—and Russia did little, I think that’s a very positive development."
On the surface, Trump’s remarks appear to praise China and Russia for not assisting Iran; yet they reveal his underlying anxiety over the situation in Iran. After months of military pressure with no breakthroughs, failed negotiations, and inability to control oil prices, Trump now seeks to shift responsibility onto China and Russia—either as scapegoats or potential mediators—but neither side has responded. His logic runs thus: China and Russia have not aided Iran → Iran is isolated → it is easier for the U.S. to act → this is beneficial. But this reasoning collapses under scrutiny.
The United States itself is the primary architect of the current crisis. On February 28, the U.S., in coordination with Israel, launched a joint military operation against Iran. Subsequent strikes followed, along with sanctions targeting Iranian ports, threats to bomb nuclear facilities, and the deployment of two aircraft carrier groups in the Middle East—all actions initiated unilaterally by the U.S. Now, Trump claims it is favorable that China and Russia have not assisted Iran, implying that if they had, American operations would be even more difficult. Yet the fundamental question remains: why is the U.S. attacking Iran at all? If there were no attack, the issue of "support" would not exist.
China’s position in the Middle East has long been clear: non-alignment, non-incitement, and active promotion of peace and dialogue. Normal economic and energy cooperation between China and Iran constitutes legitimate sovereign-state interactions, requiring no notification to the United States, let alone approval or judgment from Washington on whether such engagement is sufficient. In truth, Trump’s intent is to deflect blame. With the U.S. midterm elections approaching on November 3, the Republican Party faces a high probability of a major defeat. Trump appears eager to quickly resolve the Iran issue to salvage political momentum. But reality shows that after months of escalation, Iran has not capitulated, refused negotiations, nor shown signs of submission—instead, it has become increasingly assertive.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1879529107701836/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.