Iranian military leaders are warning that their forces are prepared for any renewed U.S. attack, sharpening the pressure around President Donald Trump’s arrival in Beijing for talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping as efforts to end the Iran war remain stalled.
Trump landed in China on Wednesday evening local time after telling reporters he expected a “long talk” with Xi about the war. He also said the United States does not “need any help” from Beijing, even as China has urged Pakistan to keep mediating between Washington and Tehran.
The moment is being watched closely because the conflict has moved beyond the battlefield. The war has strained shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, pushed up energy costs, widened violence involving Iran-backed groups and raised new questions about the price of a U.S. military campaign that American officials say has already cost tens of billions of dollars.
Tehran projects readiness as talks stall
Brig. Gen. Hassan Hassanzadeh, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander for the Tehran region, said five days of drills around the Iranian capital showed a “high level of comprehensive readiness” to confront a new U.S. or Israeli attack. He said the exercises demonstrated the ability to respond “at any place and at any time” with little delay.
The exercises included special forces and IRGC commandos, according to the account carried in the source material. The warning followed Trump’s rejection of Iran’s response to the latest U.S. peace proposal and his acknowledgment that the ceasefire was “on life support.” Iran’s parliament speaker separately said the country’s military was ready to “teach a lesson” to any aggressor.
Diplomatic openings appear limited for now. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi spoke with Pakistani Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar and urged Pakistan to maintain confidence and step up mediation. A Chinese Foreign Ministry readout said Beijing would continue supporting Pakistan’s efforts and would “make its own contribution” toward resolving the crisis, including the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
China summit carries wider stakes
Trump’s meeting with Xi comes with Iran expected to be one of several difficult subjects. The U.S. president also said he wants China to “open up” to American firms, while the broader relationship remains marked by disputes over trade, Taiwan, technology and security.
The mistrust surrounding the trip is visible even in its logistics. Trump’s delegation is expected to rely on stripped-down phones, temporary laptops and controlled communications systems while in China, precautions current and former officials described as standard for travel in a high-risk cyber environment. The Chinese Embassy rejected allegations of improper surveillance, saying personal privacy is protected by law in China.
Those precautions underscore the complicated position Beijing occupies in the crisis. China buys most of Iran’s U.S.-sanctioned oil, according to the source material, and has an economic interest in calming disruptions that have spread through energy markets. But Trump has publicly downplayed the idea that China is needed to resolve the war.
Costs are mounting beyond Iran
Acting Pentagon comptroller Jules Hurst told lawmakers Tuesday that the Iran war has cost U.S. taxpayers $29 billion so far. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had put the cost at $25 billion last month, while U.S. officials familiar with internal assessments had suggested at the time that the total could already be approaching $50 billion.
Economic pressure is also showing up in prices. The Bureau of Labor Statistics said U.S. wholesale prices rose 6% over the 12 months ending in April, the highest annual increase since December 2022, with gasoline accounting for a large share of the jump. The source material links the increase to higher energy costs tied to the war and disruption around the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global energy supplies.
The regional fallout is widening as well. In Lebanon, Israeli airstrikes Wednesday hit vehicles including cars on a main highway south of Beirut, killing 12 people, among them two children, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry. Israel said it struck Hezbollah infrastructure, while the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Lebanon said it was increasingly concerned by activity from both Hezbollah and Israeli forces near U.N. positions.
The next pressure point is whether Trump’s talks with Xi produce any visible movement on mediation, shipping through Hormuz or ceasefire terms. For now, Washington says it can manage the Iran file without Beijing’s help, while Tehran is signaling that any new attack would be met quickly.
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