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Trump Says Xi, Putin Pledged Not to Sell Weapons to Iran, as US Extends Strikes to 13th Straight Night

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Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin pledged not to sell weapons to Iran, US President Donald Trump said Friday in a Truth Social post.

Trump said Xi assured him during their recent meeting in Beijing that China would not supply arms to Iran. "... he would not, under any circumstances, give or sell weapons to the Islamic Republic of Iran - and that statement included Chinese companies," Trump said in a post on Truth Social.

Trump said he accepted Xi's commitment, citing the relationship between the two leaders. "Considering our relationship, I take him at his word..., " he said, noting that Trump had done "very big favors" for President Xi.

Trump added Putin told him Russia would not sell weapons to Iran despite the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Trump reiterated that the US does not directly sell weapons to Ukraine. "I do not sell weapons to Ukraine, but to Nato Countries. They pay full price, and how those weapons are distributed, I have no idea," he said.

Trump said China and Russia, the two countries most often linked to Iran's arms supplies, were not participating. "If they did, it would be very bad for them - certainly not in their best interests," he said.

Trump's comments came as the US continued military operations against Iran. US Central Command said Thursday US forces launched another round of strikes against Iranian military targets at 6:45 p.m. ET.

"This is the 13th consecutive night of strikes aimed to hold Iran accountable and diminish threats from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to commercial shipping," Centcom said in a post on X.

Brent futures fell 4.5% to $96.12 per barrel, while WTI futures declined 4% to $88.47/bbl. Murban crude futures slid 9.5% to $97.04/bbl as traders reacted to the latest developments.

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