Speaking to CNBC-TV18, Fabian said Trump would find it difficult to hold meaningful talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping unless tensions with Iran are brought under control.
“I doubt whether Trump will have a useful meeting with Xi Jinping if he has not settled the Iranian question,” Fabian said. “The best way to settle it is to agree to a ceasefire, release the frozen funds, and then Iran will restore the previous position as regards the Strait.”
His comments come amid escalating tensions in West Asia despite Trump insisting that the ceasefire with Iran remains intact. The US has said recent strikes on Iranian oil tankers and civilian areas were carried out in response to “unprovoked” missile, drone and small-boat attacks on American warships transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
Fabian, however, rejected the claim that a ceasefire currently exists.
“My answer is that there is no ceasefire,” he said. “Ceasefire means ceasefiring. During that period, the American Navy was shooting at Iranian ships and the Iranian IRGC was shooting at ships.”
He further described Trump’s blockade measures against Iran as “an act of war”, arguing that restricting Iranian access to the Strait while allowing other nations to use it was “ridiculous”.
Fabian also suggested that Washington’s recent statements about a possible agreement with Tehran were aimed largely at calming financial markets.
“Such statements are made by President Trump or his administration from time to time to calm the markets. That is the primary motivation,” he said.
The former envoy said Trump may have already realised the limitations of military escalation after suspending what Fabian referred to as the “Freedom Project” just days after it began.
“He did the right thing because, to my mind, it was a hare-brained scheme,” Fabian said, adding that shipping activity through the Strait had slowed sharply during the operation.
According to Fabian, rising fuel prices, disrupted air traffic and weakening domestic political support are adding to the pressure on Trump to de-escalate the situation quickly.
“Trump is in trouble,” he said. “The price at the pump is going up. And don’t forget, 13,000 flights were cancelled or are being cancelled in Europe, affecting 2 million passengers.”
He also claimed support within Trump’s MAGA base was weakening as the conflict dragged on.
Fabian argued that China and Russia remain the only powers capable of negotiating with the United States on equal terms, while much of the rest of the world has remained silent on the conflict.
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“Only China said it was the law of the jungle, and Putin has been speaking to Trump,” he said.
The comments come as reports suggest Iran and the US are close to reaching an interim agreement. In an interview with ABC News, Trump described the recent exchanges as a “love tap” and urged Iran to quickly finalise a deal.
Iran, however, continued to issue strong warnings. Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei compared Iran to “an angry lion”, saying, “If you see the lion’s fangs protruding, do not imagine that the lion is smiling.”
Hours later, the United Arab Emirates said it was responding to missile and drone attacks launched against it.
