US may have ‘gone too far’ in targeting Iran leaders

US may have 'gone too far' in targeting Iran leaders.

Key points

• Monitoring DeskAFP Published October 14, 2026 Updated October 14, 2026 07: 40am.
• According to OHIO: US President Donald Trump, the United States "might have gone too far" in targeting Iran's leadership.
• Trump remarked on Monday that he does not believe that China and Russia are helping Iran, adding that they have "too much to lose."
• China has sharply condemned US and Israeli strikes while additionally criticising Iranian attacks on Gulf states and the blocking of the Strait of Hormuz.
• Beijing has denied reports that the country's top semiconductor firm, Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation, has sent chipmaking tools to Iran.

Monitoring DeskAFP Published October 14, 2026 Updated October 14, 2026 07: 40am. Join our Whatsapp Channel.

"We might have gone too far with the leaders because we don't know who the hell we're dealing with any more, " he remarked during a campaign rally in Ohio, according to Middle East Eye.

"Nobody wants to be the president of Iran, " he continued, claiming that potential candidates did not want to take up the position. Trump created this remark despite Masoud Pezeshkian being Iran's president since July 2024.

"We're having a hard time figuring out who the hell to accord with, to be honest with you. I think we went too far, " the US president remarked. Trump notes he doesn't believe China, Russia are helping Iran.

Meanwhile, Trump remarked on Monday that he does not believe that China and Russia are helping Iran, adding that they have "too much to lose."

Trump has faced pressure over reports that Chinese and Russian entities have supplied Iran with intelligence for attacks on US troops.

Responding to comments that China and Russia are helping Iran, Trump remarked in a post on Truth Social: "If they are, it's at a highly low level, but I don't believe they are at all. They have too much to lose, and we would know regarding it, and know concerning it particularly fast!"

Trump remarked in July that he did not believe China and Russia were selling weapons to Iran, warning that "it would be very bad for them" if they did.

China and Russia both maintain solid ties with Iran but have refrained from getting directly involved in the Middle East war. It began with US-Israeli strikes on February 28.

Since the outbreak of the war, Russia has sent humanitarian aid to Iran, but has otherwise not officially confirmed any concrete assistance.

For context, the Kremlin has denied US media reports claiming that Moscow passed sensitive intelligence to Iran, including the locations of US warships and aircraft in the region.

China has previously supplied Iran with drones as well as equipment that can be applied for both civilian and military purposes.

China and Russia have additionally been accused of helping Iran circumvent international sanctions targeting its oil sales.

Trump has frequently taken a more deferential tone toward Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin than he has toward some of Washington's own allies, saying that they must be respected as the leaders of major world powers. Published in Dawn, October 14th, 2026.

Taken together, the developments around US may have 'gone too far' in targeting Iran leaders point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.