China’s foreign minister says willing to ‘safeguard’ Iran’s rights

BEIJING: China's foreign minister, Wang Yi, pledged to safeguard Iran's rights during discussions with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, on Wednesday. As China seeks to mediate in Iran's ongoing conflict with the US, Wang expressed Beijing's willingness to foster dialogue and cooperation with Tehran. He urged Iran and the US to remain rational and restrained.

The talks occurred just a week before Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to visit Washington for a meeting with US President Donald Trump. China, a major economic partner of Iran, has been pushing for a resolution to the conflict that has spilled over into neighboring Yemen and the Red Sea, causing significant displacement and casualties.

Wang emphasized that China does not want to see the tensions escalate further. The Iran conflict is expected to be a key topic of discussion during Xi's meeting with Trump, alongside other pressing issues such as trade and artificial intelligence competition. Beijing has denied recent US media reports alleging that Chinese entities supplied Iran with satellite images of a military base in Jordan prior to an Iranian strike that claimed the lives of three American soldiers.

In May, the US imposed sanctions on three Chinese satellite companies for facilitating Iran's military operations.