He dropped it this Monday in an interview with CNBC. The US president revealed that military forces intercepted a Chinese ship carrying “a gift” for Iran in the middle of the active ceasefire. “It wasn’t very nice”, he said about the cargo. “I was a little surprised. I thought I had an understanding with President Xi Jinping, but that’s war”.

The diplomatic betrayal explodes with force. Just seven days ago, on April 15, Trump himself announced to the world that Xi personally assured him China would not send weapons to Iran. The Washington Post and Fox Business broadcast the story as an unprecedented diplomatic triumph. A week later, an intercepted ship blows the narrative apart.

And Trump no longer wants to extend the truce. In the same interview he declared he does not seek to prolong the ceasefire expiring this Tuesday April 21. “I don’t want to do that. We don’t have that much time”, he said. He accuses Iran of still moving weapons as if nothing happened, while the US “has reloaded with much more destructive ammunition than a month ago”.

The Chinese “gift” is no small matter. Although Trump did not detail the contents, previous ships intercepted from China to Iran carried dual-use technology and high-precision military components, according to the Wall Street Journal in November. In an Iran that according to Western intelligence retains 60% of its missile launchers and 40% of its drones, any Chinese resupply shifts the balance.