China’s last-minute push seals Iran’s ceasefire deal with US
Abdullateef Fowewe
Iran has accepted a US-proposed two-week ceasefire, a move reportedly clinched by urgent diplomatic intervention from China, according to multiple sources including Iranian officials cited by The New York Times.
The breakthrough came after initial rejections from Tehran, shifting only following last-minute pressure from Beijing to de-escalate tensions and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global oil chokepoint.
Pakistan played a key mediation role, facilitating backchannel talks that led to the deal’s approval by Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei amid mounting economic strains on Iran.
“China urged flexibility at the eleventh hour,” one Iranian official told The New York Times, echoing reports from WION and the Associated Press.
The intervention underscores Beijing’s growing influence as a regional peacemaker, sparking online debates about shifting US leverage and Pakistan’s brokerage.
