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China called for a complete cessation of hostilities in the Gulf as Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Beijing, following an escalation that has strained a fragile four-week ceasefire.
Efforts led by Pakistan to secure a US-Iran agreement to end the war appear to be gaining momentum. Axios reported, citing US officials, that the White House is moving closer to a one-page agreement to end the conflict and set a framework for wider nuclear talks.
While one regime-aligned commentator in Tehran dismissed the report as “White House market manipulation”, a Pakistani source involved in the back-channel mediation told Reuters both parties were “closing in” on a deal. “We will close this very soon,” they said.
“A complete cessation of hostilities is of utmost urgency” and “persisting in negotiations is of paramount importance”, said China's Foreign Ministry after Mr Araghchi and Mr Wang had met. It called on all parties to respond to international calls for safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz.
Beijing said preventing escalation and protecting global shipping remains the priority, as disruption continues despite the ceasefire.
Mr Araghchi called Beijing a “close friend of Tehran” and said co-operation between the two countries would be “stronger than before”.
The meeting comes ahead of US President Donald Trump’s visit to Beijing next week for talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, with China again urging restraint and co-ordinated diplomacy.
The Strait of Hormuz – through which one fifth of global oil flows – remains central to the crisis, with shipping still disrupted despite the ceasefire holding since April 8.
Maritime risks were underscored after French shipping company CMA CGM said one of its vessels was attacked in the Strait, injuring crew and damaging the ship, with evacuations carried out.
Beijing has positioned itself as a neutral broker, even as Washington seeks to loosen Iran’s grip on the waterway. The war, which began on February 28 with US and Israeli strikes on Iran, has killed thousands and severely disrupted global shipping.
The US has paused “Project Freedom” – a naval escort mission for vessels in the Strait – in what Mr Trump called a goodwill gesture for negotiations. The White House and the Pentagon previously described the operation as central to securing navigation, before Mr Trump abruptly halted it, undercutting messaging from top officials only hours earlier.
A broader US naval blockade of Iranian ports remains in place, with hundreds of ships still stuck or moving cautiously through the waterway.
Washington says it has achieved its core military objectives and is now focused on maritime security. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the current posture “defensive,” while acknowledging continued risks to civilian shipping.
Mr Trump said the pause followed “tremendous military success” and progress towards a possible deal, citing mediation efforts by Pakistan and others.
Both sides tested the truce most seriously this week, with US forces sinking Iranian attack boats and Iran launching missile and drone strikes on the UAE that set fire to the Fujairah Oil Industry Zone, a key export hub outside the Strait.
Each has accused the other of violations, with neither showing willingness to concede ground over the strategic waterway.
Analysts say Washington’s approach has been inconsistent. “It’s hard to escape the sense that the administration simply does not have a coherent strategy for Iran,” said Danny Citrinowicz, a Middle East expert.
Mr Trump has downplayed the flare-ups, insisting Iran has “no chance” against US forces and that its nuclear and naval capabilities have been “wiped out,” while warning it would only “survive” if it makes a deal.
Iran, meanwhile, has doubled down, announcing plans for a new “Strait Authority” that would issue transit permits and require vessels to comply with its regulations before clearance.
The US and Gulf states have drafted a UN Security Council resolution calling on Iran to halt attacks on shipping and protect navigation in the Strait.
