Trump hints US might sanction Chinese banks doing business with Iran

US President Donald Trump hints his government is preparing to sanction Chinese banks linked to Iran as the conflict grinds on after six months, and has shown little interest in getting back to talks with Tehran.

This after US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent unveiled the campaign "Operation Economic Outcast" that warns nations to cut trade with Iran before it's too late. Beijing has repeatedly affirmed its commitment to safegurading its own interests and stated an economic war does nothing to resolve the issues.

This week, the Trump administration has turned its focus to increasing economic pressure - rather than military action - on Tehran, and is weighing secondary sanctions against Iran's trading partners.

(Reporter: Why not sanction Chinese banks, though, who are doing business with Iran?)

Trump says: "Well, who said I'm not? You said, why not? I mean, who said I'm not?

(Reporter: Secretary Bessent didn't announce it.)

Trump says: "You don't know if I'm doing it, well, I don't have to annouce everything, do I?"

China's Foreign Ministry responded on Friday that they believe dialogue and negotiations are the only way out of the current situation, as a spokesperson points out China's opposition to illegal unilateral sanctions is consistent and clear.

Trump also told reporters in the White House he did not intend to negotiate with Iran while Qatar and Pakistan were pressing for a diplomatic off-ramp.

A Wall Street Journal report says Trump has made clear to mediators that he has little interest in getting back to the preliminary deal reached in June that aimed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and launch talks about Iran's nuclear programme.

That memorandum of understanding faced criticism in the US for being too weak to Iran. In Tehran, Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi told visiting Qatari prime minister that diplomacy with the United States can get back on track if Washington realises pressure against Iran does not work.

Qatar announces it is discussing a temporary shipping route in the strait with Iran and both sides have reached consensus on jointly clearing water bombs. In another development, the US Secret Service said earlier on Tuesday that it was aware of a video surfaced on Iranian state television about a potential plot related to Trump's youngest son Barron.

The video is said to have explicitly stated that a 10-million-US-dollar bounty is attached to his assassination.

However, Iran's Security Chief Mohsen Rezaei denies the report as a lie during an interview broadcast by Lebanon's Al Manar TV on Thursday.