Video Trump threatens China with tariffs over reports of Iran aid Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., discusses reports alleging China provided military aid to Iran and U.S.-Iran talks ending without a peace deal on ‘The Big Weekend Show.’
President Trump warned China could face "staggering" new tariffs if caught supplying military aid to Iran, escalating tensions as the U.S. prepares to squeeze the regime with a blockade on the Strait of Hormuz.
"Maybe they [provided military aid to Iran] a little bit at the beginning, but I don't think they would anymore, no," Trump said in an exclusive "Sunday Morning Futures" interview.
"But if we catch them doing that, they get a 50% tariff, which is a staggering amount."
House Foreign Affairs Committee member Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., warned that China risks serious economic consequences should it wade too far into the conflict, arguing Beijing "has an interest not to tick off" Trump.
TRUMP ORDERS A BLOCKADE IN THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ AS TENSIONS WITH IRAN SOAR
Many critics of President Donald Trump have suggested he chickened out for not committing what they initially insisted was a "genocide" of the Iranian people. (Nathan Howard/Getty Images)
"I suspect if they do, he's not going to be like Obama and draw a line in the sand that they continuously walk over. He will impose that, and it's going to hurt," he told "The Big Weekend Show" on Sunday.
Burchett also defended the administration’s broader pressure campaign, saying economic and military moves are necessary to counter adversaries like Iran and deter further escalation in the region.
"He uses diplomacy very well. It may be at the end of his fist, but he does, and by sending JD Vance, I think he showed the seriousness of this country," he said, referring to attempts to broker a peace deal with the regime over the weekend.
TRUMP’S APOCALYPTIC IRAN WARNING RAISES STAKES FOR SWEEPING US STRIKE THREAT
Rep. Tim Burchett, of Tennessee, speaks to reporters following a House Republicans conference meeting at the U.S. Capitol on July 23, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
He added, "These people [the Iranian regime] are demonic, and you've got to realize that's what they're dealing with... the only thing they understand is total destruction, and they want Armageddon... Trump was right to go in and try to stop their nuclear abilities, because that's exactly what they want to do. As soon as they get the ability, they will launch a missile against Israel. They will cause World War III. Trump is preventing that, and the price of gas is the cost we're having to pay right now, unfortunately."
The president and his broader administration made moves in the foreign policy sphere over the weekend, with the vice president and other U.S. negotiators meeting with Iranian and Pakistani delegations for marathon ceasefire talks in Islamabad on Saturday.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
After those talks failed, Trump announced a sweeping "all in, all out" blockade on the Strait of Hormuz, slated to take effect early Monday.
"We're not going to let Iran make money on selling oil to people that they like and not people that they don't like... It's going to be all or none and that's the way it is," Trump told Fox News' Maria Bartiromo.
"You saw what we did with Venezuela. It'll be something very similar to that but at a higher level."
Fox News' Greg Norman-Diamond, Michael Sinkewicz, Morgan Phillips, Preston Mizell, Robert McGreevy and Jasmine Baehr contributed to this report.
Taylor Penley is an associate editor with Fox News.
Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox.
By entering your email and clicking the Subscribe button, you agree to the Fox News Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, and agree to receive content and promotional communications from Fox News. You understand that you can opt-out at any time.
You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter!
