China urges Iran, US to revive June deal, reopen Hormuz — SkimNews
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- Wang Yi told Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Beijing on September 16 that Iran and the US should exercise restraint, return to the interim peace deal they signed in June, and "engage in substantive consultations".
- Wang Yi urged all parties to "take effective measures to reopen the Strait of Hormuz at an early date" to safeguard international energy transport and supply chains, and warned against tensions spilling further into Yemen and the Red Sea.
- Araghchi said Iran remains "fully prepared to powerfully defend its national sovereignty and territorial integrity" against aggressors but welcomes diplomatic solutions that ensure the rights of the Iranian nation.
- The Beijing talks came a week ahead of an expected meeting between Xi Jinping and Donald Trump in Washington, per the source.
- US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Tuesday that Trump and Xi would continue discussions on Iran and China's financial links to Tehran, which Washington has been seeking to shut out of western financial systems.
- Beijing, the main buyer of Iran's oil, has repeatedly stressed the need for safe Hormuz navigation but largely refrained from directly challenging Tehran's threats to shipping.
Why it matters: The timing is not coincidental: the Beijing sit-down lands exactly one week before Xi's expected Trump meeting, with Bessent confirming Iran will be on the agenda. As Iran's biggest oil customer, China holds leverage over both Tehran and Hormuz shipping — making it the only player that can credibly broker with Washington without alienating either side.
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