China, ‘deeply distressed,’ calls for an end to the U.S.-Iran war

China is in a position to influence Iran, given its close economic and political ties to the gulf nation.

In this photo released by the Telegram channel of Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi, right, meets with Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Beijing, China, Wednesday, May 6, 2026. [Photo: Telegram channel of the Iranian Foreign Minister via AP]

China’s foreign minister on Wednesday called for a comprehensive ceasefire in the Iran war, in comments that could inject new energy into stalled efforts to end the two-month conflict between the United States and Iran.Wang Yi said his country was “deeply distressed” by the conflict. He spoke after meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who was visiting Beijing for the first time since the war with the U.S. and Israel started Feb. 28.China’s close economic and political ties to Tehran give it a unique position of influence. The Trump administration is pressing China to use that relationship to urge the Islamic Republic to open the Strait of Hormuz.The Chinese minister’s comments followed an earlier statement by U.S. President Donald Trump that he was pausing his short-lived U.S. effort to guide stranded commercial vessels out of the Strait of Hormuz in hopes that a deal could be finalized. A shaky ceasefire has been largely holding, despite exchanges of fire during the U.S. push to reopen the strait on Monday.Iran’s effective closure of the strait, a........

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