Putin meets Xi in Beijing as Trump delays an Iran strike, highlighting a deepening Russia-China alliance amid rising Gulf tensions and US pressure on Tehran

The summit follows Xi Jinping's meeting with US President Donald Trump and is expected to cover future energy cooperation, Ukraine, and the war in Iran.

Russia and China are intensifying energy and geopolitical cooperation as the Iran war and Strait of Hormuz disruptions push Beijing to secure more overland oil and gas supplies…