Iran signals diplomacy with US as China pushes Hormuz reopening

Beijing,UPDATED: Sep 16, 2026 16:52 IST

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Wednesday that Tehran was not interested in continuing the conflict with the US and was looking to return to a diplomatic solution, as he held talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing and briefed him on the latest developments in West Asia.

The meeting came amid an escalation in hostilities in the region. Yemen's Houthis, formally known as Ansar Allah and aligned with Iran, have stepped up attacks on Saudi Arabia and taken control of the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait in the Red Sea. The Iran-US war has also restricted the movement of ships and oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, triggering a wider energy crisis.

Araghchi's visit came days after his meetings with Wang and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in New Delhi on September 12 and 13, which he attended with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. This was Araghchi's fifth visit to China since 2024, underlining the close ties between Tehran and Beijing.

According to a readout from the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Wang said both Iran and the US should return to the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding to end the conflict. He said the continued prolongation of the US-Iran conflict was not in the common interest of the parties concerned or the international community. China encouraged both sides to stay rational and exercise restraint, return to the MoU at an early date, rebuild the negotiation mechanism based on the consensus reached so far, and hold substantive consultations on issues of concern, Wang said.

Araghchi told Wang that Iran was not interested in continuing the conflict and was ready to return to diplomatic channels while defending what it regarded as its legitimate rights. He said Tehran considered the US-Iran Memorandum of Understanding to remain in force and had reached an agreement with Oman on arrangements for reopening the Strait of Hormuz. He also called on Washington to honour its commitments and said Tehran was ready to deepen cooperation with Beijing within that framework.

Wang said China, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council and a comprehensive strategic partner of Iran, was ready to play a constructive role in resolving international disputes and safeguarding what Beijing described as Iran's legitimate rights and interests. He also called on Iran to pursue dialogue with Gulf states while respecting territorial sovereignty and national security. Araghchi said Iran was ready to hold consultations with regional countries to build good-neighbourly relations and work towards restoring peace and stability in the region.

A key focus of the talks was the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial international shipping route. Wang called on all parties to take effective measures to reopen the strait at an early date, ensure safe and unimpeded navigation, and maintain the stability of global energy transportation and supply chains. He also voiced concern that the conflict could spread further to Yemen and the Red Sea, and called on all sides to avoid steps that could worsen the situation and instead resolve disputes through dialogue and negotiations.

Wang said recent developments had exposed weaknesses in the existing Middle East security architecture and called for it to be reformed and strengthened. He also said Beijing's policy towards Iran remained "consistent and stable", and that China would oppose the use of force and uphold international norms at the UN Security Council and other multilateral forums. The two sides also exchanged views on other international and regional issues of common concern, according to the Chinese readout.

Overall, the talks centred on the conflict between Iran and the US, the situation in West Asia, and concerns over key shipping routes, with both sides stressing diplomacy, regional dialogue and steps to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

With PTI Inputs

- Ends