Wang Yi: next US-Iran talks phase will be 'more
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- Wang Yi told Pakistan's Ishaq Dar on June 16 that the second stage of US-Iran negotiations will be 'more difficult' than the first, framing the current consensus as 'a new starting point' rather than a final destination.
- The phone call came ahead of a planned June 19 signing of a US-Iran memorandum of understanding to end their war.
- Wang said the UN Security Council 'should also play a greater role' in supporting the talks, and that achieving lasting peace in the Middle East and Gulf 'still requires unremitting efforts from all parties.'
- China offered to work with Pakistan to promote peace; Beijing said Pakistan, its close ally, played a key role in mediating between Washington and Tehran, with China as Iran's top trading partner backing those efforts.
- Pakistan's foreign ministry said both diplomats stressed opening the Strait of Hormuz for the global economy, energy security, and international trade, noting the waterway is 'subject to competing blockades that have roiled energy markets.'
Why it matters: Beijing's warning — from the country that backs both Pakistan's mediation and Iran's economy — signals the easier diplomatic ground has been covered and the harder disputes remain. With the June 19 MOU framed as a starting point rather than a destination, and competing blockades on the Strait of Hormuz still disrupting energy markets, shippers and importers dependent on Gulf oil face continued uncertainty even as the formal track advances.
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