TEHRAN– The United States should not expect China to help end its war with Iran, according to a Qatari-based analyst.

Mohamad Elmasry, a media studies professor at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, told Al Jazeera that while China is being hurt to some extent by disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, it has found "workarounds" and remains in a much better position than many other global players.

"More importantly, I don't think the Chinese are willing to jeopardize the relationship that they have with Iran," Elmasry said, noting that while the two countries are not formal allies, they share a strategic partnership that serves as "an important counterbalance to US hegemony in the region."

"I don't think they (Iranians) are willing to surrender the region to the US and Israel," he added.

On the Iranian front, Elmasry argued that Trump has overestimated his leverage. "This is an existential battle for the Iranians," he said. "There's really no military solution to Hormuz. It's going to have to be a negotiated settlement."

The professor criticized Trump's approach, saying the president continues to believe he has significant leverage and treats the conflict as a fight. "He's a fighter who thinks his opponent is about to tap out, about to surrender. And the Iranians are not going to surrender. They believe they have more leverage in this situation."

"There's no easy way out for Trump," Elmasry concluded.