Abbas Araghchi Travels To Beijing For Talks With Wang Yi On Bilateral Ties

Iran’s top diplomat Abbas Araghchi is set to travel to Beijing on Tuesday for high-level talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, with the agenda covering bilateral ties and regional and international developments. Mehr News Agency says Araghchi’s visit follows last week’s trips to Pakistan, Oman and Russia, and it places the talks against a backdrop that includes a temporary Pakistan-brokered ceasefire that came into effect on April 8. Mehr News Agency also says the US has imposed a blockade on Iranian ports, which Tehran slams as illegal and in violation of the ceasefire terms, and that Iran has asserted control over the Strait of Hormuz while denying passage to vessels belonging to the US and its allies. In a separate account, PressTV says Araghchi will travel to Beijing for continued diplomatic consultations with key partners, and it links the Strait of Hormuz closure to “the commencement of US-Israeli aggression against Iran on February 28.”

Iran’s Foreign Ministry says Araghchi met Wang Yi in Beijing and that the two sides discussed bilateral relations and cooperation, including economic and trade ties, as well as the status of implementing existing agreements. The ministry quotes Araghchi describing China as “a close friend and strategic partner of Iran,” and it also includes his statement that “We believe that the strategic cooperation and partnership between the two countries will continue stronger than ever in the new era.” The same ministry account says Araghchi briefed Wang Yi on “the Iran-U.S. negotiations mediated by Pakistan,” and it frames the diplomatic effort as part of efforts to end the “U.S.-Zionist regime’s imposed war.” Outside the Iranian government account, the Caspian Post reports that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called on China to put pressure on Araghchi to loosen Tehran’s chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz, quoting Rubio as saying, “I hope the Chinese tell (Araghchi) what he needs to be told.”

The diplomatic outreach around Araghchi’s Beijing talks also includes Iran’s engagement with Saudi Arabia, where Iran’s Foreign Ministry said Araghchi held a phone conversation with Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud to stress diplomacy and regional cooperation to prevent further escalation. Middle East Monitor reports that the two top diplomats discussed the latest regional developments and stressed the need to continue diplomatic efforts and coordination among regional countries to prevent rising tensions. The same Middle East Monitor account ties the escalation to a war launched by the US and Israel against Iran in February, saying it killed “over 3,300 people” and displaced “tens of thousands.” As the Beijing talks proceed, PressTV says Tehran has submitted proposals to Washington aimed at permanently resolving the war, which it says have reportedly been rejected by the White House while the US continues to issue military threats against Iran.