Trump says he and China’s Xi agree Iran cannot have nuclear weapons

(Reuters)

BEIJING, May 15 – U.S. President Donald Trump said his patience with Iran is running out and he had agreed in talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping that the Islamic republic cannot be allowed to have a nuclear weapon and must re-open the Strait of ​Hormuz.

“We’ve settled a lot of different problems that other people wouldn’t have been able to solve,” Trump said on Friday after he met Xi in Beijing on the second day of talks ‌which included the Iran war, Taiwan, trade and other issues.

“This ​conflict, which should never have happened, has no reason to continue,” the ministry said.

Trump said of Iran in an interview aired on Thursday night on Fox News’ “Hannity” ⁠program: “I am not going to be much more patient. They should make a deal.”

On the key issue of Iran’s hidden stockpile of enriched uranium, Trump suggested it only needed to be secured by the U.S. for public ​relations purposes.

“I don’t think it’s necessary except from a public relations standpoint,” Trump said in the interview.

“I just feel better if I got it, actually. But it’s, I think, it’s more for public relations than it is ​for anything else.”

After talks between Trump and Xi on Thursday, the White House said the leaders had agreed that the strait should be open and that Xi made clear China’s opposition to the militarisation of the waterway and any effort to charge a toll for its use, as Iran has threatened to do.00:0700:27

Trump said Xi also promised not to send Iran military equipment. “He said he’s not going to give military equipment, that’s a big statement,” Trump said on “Hannity”.

Xi also expressed interest in purchasing more American oil ​to reduce China’s future dependence on the strait, the White House readout of the talks said.