The president says there’s no way all those reports about Russia and China helping Iran are true. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images Donald Trump has downplayed overwhelming evidence that his dictator friends are helping the same country he has been at war with for the past seven and a half months. “I see so many comments from the imbeciles and lunatics on the radical left that China and Russia are helping the ‘wonderful’ Islamic Republic of Iran,” the president wrote in a late-night Truth Social post on Monday. “If they are, it’s at a very low level, but I don’t think they are at all,” he continued. “They have a lot to lose and we would know it, and we would know it very quickly!” Donald Trump/Truth SocialTrump, 80, promised that his war with Tehran would only last “a few weeks” when he launched it in February. The conflict has since proven to be one of the least popular in American history, with voters rating it and the economic pain it has helped cause among their top anxieties heading into the Nov. 3 midterm elections. Reports of Russian involvement emerged almost immediately. Moscow has provided Tehran with sensitive information about American warships and aircraft, allowing Iranian forces to attack them more effectively, the Washington Post revealed in March. Russia has consistently provided support to Tehran amid Trump’s war against the Islamist regime. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images Vladimir Putin’s government has also carried out a clandestine operation to help Iran develop supersonic cruise missiles capable of threatening US Navy ships, according to the Financial Times. The deal involved specialists from Russian state-controlled weapons companies, and records indicate their work continued through the summer. Get the best of The Beast delivered straight to your inbox Putin himself told Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in early September that he has been “trying to give him the help he needs in this difficult period” by “providing him with the goods he needs,” although he did not elaborate on what exactly that entailed, the Financial Times added. Trump welcomed Xi to the White House the day after the Wall Street Journal revealed the extent of China’s support for Iran. Tehran in the conflict, and Iranian customs recorded approximately 1,300 shipments of possible military goods from Chinese suppliers during the first six months of this year, the Wall Street Journal revealed last month. U.S. officials also connected satellite images obtained from Chinese companies to an Iranian attack that killed three U.S. soldiers. Even Trump’s own defense chief has acknowledged the help Iran is receiving from Russia and China. Pete Hegseth told the Senate during a hearing in July that both were enabling Iran’s war effort “at different levels,” although he declined to reveal the full extent of their involvement. Still, Trump has lavished attention on both Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping throughout the conflict. He even welcomed Xi to the White House for a lavish state visit last month, boasting of their “truly great friendship” just a day after the Journal published its shocking findings on China’s support for Iran. And last Friday, Trump reached a controversial deal with Putin to release Russian diesel into international markets, relaxing sanctions to give Moscow a lucrative source of revenue as it continues its brutal invasion of Ukraine. That deal, intended to alleviate rising American fuel costs caused by Trump’s war with Iran, prompted a furious response from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who warned that “gifts to Putin will bring no peace or any benefits to the civilized world.” Analysts suggest the deal will do little or nothing to ease the pain at American pumps ahead of next month’s contest for control of the House and Senate. The Daily Beast has reached out to the White House for comment on this story. Unlock one year of full access to The Daily Beast for $35.What’s includedUnlimited access (web + app)Exclusive ad-free newslettersComment accessDaily crosswordSneak peek at releases and eventsAutomatic renewal for $5.99 per month. Cancel anytimeWhat’s includedDiscounted annual rate – save 47%Unlimited access (web + app)Exclusive ad-free newslettersComment accessDaily crosswordSneak peek at releases and eventsAutomatic renewal for $59.99/year. 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