The Israel–Iran war began on February 28, after US and Israeli airstrikes under ‘Operation Epic Fury’ targeted Iran’s nuclear and military sites, killing top leaders.
Iran retaliated with missile and drone attacks on Israel, US bases, and regional targets, causing widespread damage. While the US has proposed a ceasefire plan through mediators like Pakistan and Turkey, but Iran has rejected key terms, insisting on broader conditions (including Lebanon).
In the above context, an image is being widely shared on social media in which Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping are seen sitting together at a dining table inside what looks to be a long-distance transport vehicle.
Those sharing the image claim it shows them meeting to discuss the current West Asia conflict.
A social media user shared the image with the caption, “President Putin had lunch on a high-speed train in Beijing while discussing the Iran war with the Chinese President and decided to join Iran’s army and fight in the war.” (Translated from Hindi)
SouthCheck found that the claim is misleading. The image is from 2018 and unrelated to the ongoing conflict in West Asia.
On a Google reverse image search, we found that the image was shared by a Chinese website, ECNS.CN on June 9, 2018.
The report stated that Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin boarded a high-speed train to the coastal city of Tianjin on the afternoon of June 8, after concluding a series of engagements in Beijing. In Tianjin, they attended a friendly Sino-Russian youth ice hockey match, exchanged team jerseys, and posed for a group photograph with the players.
The image was also shared by a Russian website on June 8, 2018.
According to the website, Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping met in Tianjin, attending a youth hockey match and taking part in a ceremonial face-off. They also oversaw a rail agreement on China–Russia–Europe transit and discussed high-speed rail projects. During the visit, both leaders travelled by bullet train and shared a cultural moment, cooking and tasting traditional Chinese dishes together.
Global China Daily also reported on the meeting on June 9, 2018.
According to the report, President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin travelled on a high-speed train to China’s coastal city Tianjin after wrapping up a series of events in Beijing.
Moreover, we found no reports of Russia and China having any conversation around the ongoing West Asia crisis.
Hence, we can ascertain that the viral claim is misleading.