China Attempts Mediation Between Iran and Israel: Will It Succeed in Easing Tensions?
China announced today, Thursday, the dispatch of a special envoy to the Middle East with the aim of mediating to end the war that has entered its sixth day between Israel and the U.S. on one side, and Iran on the other, confirming that any expansion of the conflict would not serve anyone.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry quoted Minister Wang Yi as saying during phone calls with his counterparts in Saudi Arabia and the UAE that Beijing appreciates the restraint shown by Riyadh and its insistence on resolving disputes through peaceful means, also calling for the protection of vital maritime shipping routes.
This Chinese move comes after statements by U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday, in which he downplayed the role of China and Russia in the conflict, affirming that “the problem of the United States is not with China and Russia, but with Iran's nuclear ambitions,” and that they are “not influential actors” in the conflict.
* Iran Refuses to Negotiate
In contrast, there have been no signs of a resolution from the Iranian side, as Ali Larijani, Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran, announced that U.S. President Donald Trump has led his country into a “wrongful war” due to the impulses of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Mohammad Mokhber, advisor to the late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, stated that Iran does not intend to negotiate with the United States and is prepared for a long war, while U.S. reports indicated that Iranian messages were sent to Washington in recent days but received no response.
On the other hand, Netanyahu requested clarifications from the White House after learning that U.S. administration officials may have communicated with Iranian officials, reflecting the Israeli government's concern over the possibility of the United States halting fire before achieving all of Israel's objectives.
* Ongoing Conflict with No End in Sight
The Israeli-American war on Iran enters its sixth day, amid escalating tensions and the absence of any signs of a near resolution, complicating the regional and international landscape and placing the world before dangerous scenarios in the Middle East.
