(AURN News) — President Donald Trump is heading to Beijing as tensions with Iran continue to escalate and global economic concerns grow around the ongoing conflict.
Referring to the ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran, Trump said in the Oval Office on Monday, “You know, it’s unbelievably weak. I would say it’s one of the weakest. Right now, it’s on life support.”
Later today, Trump boards Air Force One for Beijing as the war involving Iran enters its 10th week and the Strait of Hormuz remains closed to shipping.
Last week alone, Iran struck the UAE, U.S. and Iranian forces traded fire in the Strait, and the Pentagon confirmed strikes on two Iranian oil tankers.
Joining Trump on the plane are Elon Musk; Apple CEO Tim Cook; BlackRock CEO Larry Fink; and Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg, who are expected to announce deals involving soybeans, aircraft and rare earths.
But Iran remains a major focus of the trip. Trump is expected to press Chinese President Xi Jinping to increase pressure on Tehran, a dynamic that could give Beijing leverage in discussions involving Taiwan, semiconductors and technology exports.
Trump is expected to arrive in Beijing tonight. The key question now is what concessions, if any, the administration may be willing to make during the talks.
Click play to listen to the report from AURN White House Correspondent Ebony McMorris. For more news, follow @E_N_McMorris & @aurnonline.
