Former CIA counterterrorism official John Kiriakou said President Donald Trump’s “handshake agreement” with China could disrupt Iran’s military supply lines and help bring an end to the conflict.
Speaking on the “Hang Out with Sean Hannity” podcast, Kiriakou explained what this could mean for the conflict in the Middle East and outlined the potential impact of an Iranian nuclear weapon.
“The president announced on either X or on Truth Social that he had come to some sort of a handshake deal with the Chinese and that the Chinese were not going to provide weapons [to Iran],” Kiriakou said.
“If that’s the truth, then it’s pretty much over.”
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Trump announced the deal with China on Truth Social Wednesday, saying China is “very happy” with his plans to permanently open the Strait of Hormuz after Iran blockaded the vital waterway and disrupted the flow of oil.
“I am doing it for them, also – And the World. This situation will never happen again,” Trump wrote, adding that China has agreed to stop supplying Iran with weapons.
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“They have agreed not to send weapons to Iran. President Xi will give me a big, fat, hug when I get there in a few weeks. We are working together smartly, and very well!” Trump posted.
The president is scheduled to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping next month in Beijing. Their meeting was previously delayed over fighting that erupted in the Middle East earlier this year.
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Beyond the China agreement, Kiriakou said a nuclear-armed Iran remains a serious threat to the United States. He said assessments of Tehran’s missile range have changed.
Hannity said the U.S. underestimated Iran’s missile range and that it could reach major European cities like Paris and London.
Kiriakou confirmed the assessment, saying that by “stripping down” the missiles, Iran “extended the range by something like 60%.” He added that even without long-range missiles, Iran could “wreak havoc on the entire region by making a dirty bomb.”
In March, the regime launched two intermediate-range ballistic missiles toward the U.S.-U.K. base at Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, roughly 2,500 miles from Iran, according to Israeli officials. The strike challenged previous assessments of Tehran’s capabilities, which Iran’s foreign minister previously claimed were capped at a 2,000-kilometer range.
Both agreed that the conflict will not turn into a “forever war,” with Hannity asserting that Trump “won’t let it” happen.
“I can’t imagine this turns into one of the long wars. It doesn’t make any sense. … You know, if it were going to be, we already would have boots on the ground,” said Kiriakou.
