China Urges Iran and US to Show Restraint, Reopen Strait of Hormuz

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called on Iran and the United States to stay rational and exercise restraint, urging both sides to return to the Islamabad memorandum and pursue substantive consultations, during a meeting with his Iranian counterpart in Beijing on Wednesday.

Wang told Iran's Araqchi, who was on a one-day visit to the Chinese capital, that Tehran and Washington should rebuild a negotiation mechanism based on consensus reached so far. He also urged all parties to take effective measures to reopen the Strait of Hormuz at an early date, describing the waterway as vital to the stability of international energy transport and supply chains.

The Chinese foreign minister said Beijing did not want to see regional tensions spill over further into Yemen and the Red Sea. China, the main buyer of Iranian oil, has repeatedly stressed the need to restore normal and safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, though it has largely refrained from directly challenging Tehran's threats to shipping.

Wang said the current situation showed that the existing security architecture in the Middle East was inadequate and needed to be reformed and strengthened. He added that China stood ready to promote peace, fairness and justice in the region, and that its policy toward Iran had remained consistent and stable.

The talks came a week ahead of an expected meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington. U.S. 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.