Beijing: Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is holding talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing amid heightened tensions with the United States over the Strait of Hormuz.
The one-day visit comes a week before US President Donald Trump is scheduled to travel to Beijing for a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping on May 14-15. Chinese state media Xinhua confirmed the meeting but did not disclose further details.
This marks Araghchi’s first visit to China, a key ally of Tehran, since the US-Israeli conflict with Iran began on February 28. He has previously held multiple phone discussions with Wang following the outbreak of hostilities.
The talks are expected to focus on maintaining the ceasefire and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global energy route. The waterway was effectively disrupted during the conflict, pushing up global fuel and fertiliser prices. The US later imposed restrictions on Iranian ports following a ceasefire in April.
US officials have urged China to press Iran to ease control over the strait, while Beijing has criticised both US naval actions and Iran’s repeated closures of the chokepoint.
Analysts say Iran is seeking clarity on China’s position ahead of the Trump–Xi meeting, while Beijing wants assurances Tehran will avoid escalation.
