China has assured the United States that it will not supply weapons to Iran during the current ceasefire in the Middle East conflict, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Thursday, as Washington stepped up pressure on Tehran to agree to a broader peace deal brokered by Pakistan.

Speaking at a Pentagon briefing, Hegseth said Beijing had conveyed the assurance directly, amid heightened concerns in Washington about external support for Iran during the fragile pause in fighting.

“Trump has a strong and direct relationship with Xi. They communicated on that, and China said that is not going to happen,” Hegseth said, referring to reports of a possible Chinese arms shipment to Iran.

The Chinese embassy in Washington declined to comment on any communications between Trump and Xi, but said Beijing “always acts prudently and responsibly” in its exports of military equipment.

“China’s position on the Iran issue is open and above board,” the embassy said. “We uphold an objective and impartial stance, and have made efforts to promote peace talks.”

The remarks came as senior US military officials warned that American forces in the region were ready to resume combat operations if negotiations fail.