Washington (Web Desk): United States (US) President Donald Trump said on Friday that the ceasefire with Iran was arranged as a “favour” to Pakistan and came after appeals from several other countries.
While speaking to journalists aboard Air Force One during his return journey from a state visit to China, he explained that the decision was not one he personally supported.
“We really did the ceasefire at the request of other nations, I would not have been in favour of it. We did it as a favour to Pakistan, they are terrific people, the field marshal, the prime minister,” he said.
He further stated that he would be open to a 20-year pause in Iran’s nuclear program, while rejecting Tehran’s most recent proposal as “not acceptable.”
Trump also criticised former US President Joe Biden, saying Biden had made an “extremely bad deal” with Iran.
Discussing his meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Trump said the two leaders held detailed and open discussions on the issue of Taiwan, adding that China remained firmly committed to its stance on Taiwan.
When asked about the supply of American weapons to Taiwan, Trump gave an ambiguous response, saying the United States “may provide weapons to Taiwan, and may not.”
On trade matters, the US president clarified that import tariffs were not discussed with Xi Jinping during the meetings. However, he said China would now purchase billions of dollars worth of soybeans from the United States.
Trump further stated that he reached understanding and consensus with the Chinese leadership on several important matters during the visit.