The US-Iran ceasefire is on ‘life support,’ says Donald Trump. Iran may enrich Uranium to weapons grade if the war resumes, says its government.

All this sets the stage for Donald Trump’s trip to Beijing this week, where he will ask Xi Jinping for help bringing the war to a satisfactory end.

Might the two most powerful men on the planet might find a way to re-open the Strait of Hormuz and end the war? But does China have the leverage to force Iran to act, and would Xi Jinping be willing to use it to help out Donald Trump?

Highlights

• Can China stop the Iran conflict from spiralling further?
• What will a successful US-China Summit look like for Trump?

CONTRIBUTORS:

Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphant

Allegra Mendelson, Asia Correspondent

Dr Alessandro Arduino, RUSI Associate Fellow, International Security

CONTENT REFERENCED:

Antonia Langford, Putin expands world’s largest drone factory

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/05/11/putin-expands-worlds-largest-drone-factory/

Benedict Smith, Trump: ceasefire with Iran is on life support

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/05/11/iran-us-war-latest-tehran-executes-alleged-cia-mossad-spy/

Robert White, UAE ‘carried out secret attacks on Iran’

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/05/12/uae-secret-attacks-on-iran/

Producer: Peter Shevlin

Executive Producers: Venetia Rainey & Louisa Wells

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