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China backs Iran-US MoU
China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian welcomed the signing of the US-Iran Islamabad MoU and urged Washington and Tehran to “uphold the spirit” of their agreement and “earnestly honour their commitments,” as the deal was signed electronically and a formal ceremony was scheduled for Friday in Switzerland.
Lin Jian said China “welcomes” the development on Thursday (June 18) and urged both sides to “meet each other halfway” during the upcoming phase of talks, while also calling on all relevant parties, including Israel, to “conform to the overall situation of regional peace and stability.”
Global Times reported Lin Jian’s position that the first-phase MoU “has created favorable conditions for easing tensions in the Middle East,” and said Israel should act in line with the overall goal of regional peace and stability.
The South China Morning Post framed the question as whether the US-Iran deal can survive “defiant Israel and Hormuz uncertainties,” citing an assessment by Niu Xinchun that the United States appeared to be making more concessions because Washington was “more desperate to disentangle itself from the war.”
Ceasefire, Hormuz, and threats
The MoU described by Chinese state-linked coverage ties the war’s end to Lebanon and the Strait of Hormuz, with China’s messaging coming as Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said negotiations on a final agreement would begin on Friday after the MoU signing.
China.org.cn reported that Araghchi said the first stage covered issues including the war’s end, the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. anti-Iran naval blockade, Iranian frozen assets and reconstruction, while the second stage would run for a 60-day period to reach a final agreement on nuclear issues and removal of sanctions.
In parallel, WION said the terms included that “military hostilities are to be halted across all fronts, including Lebanon,” while also noting Lebanese state media reported Israeli airstrikes in the south killed at least five people.
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty quoted Mojtaba Khamenei’s written message that he initially held “a different view” but authorized the agreement after assurances from Iranian President Masud Pezeshkian, and it also quoted CENTCOM that “All U.S. military blockade enforcement efforts have ceased.”
What’s at stake next
China’s diplomatic posture was paired with a warning that the MoU’s implementation depends on restraint by all parties, as Lin Jian urged Washington and Tehran to focus on actions that facilitate the agreement’s first phase and advance the second round rather than taking actions that contradict those goals.
Anadolu Ajansı reported Lin Jian’s line that “Force is no solution,” and said he called for “Negotiation on an equal footing is the right choice,” while also urging the US and Iran to approach the second stage with a “rational and practical attitude.”
The South China Morning Post added a separate analytical framing that the “shaky agreement is unlikely to guarantee lasting peace,” and it pointed to the 14-point deal’s immediate steps involving the Strait of Hormuz and the US naval blockade as part of what could be tested by “Hormuz uncertainties.”
At the same time, the Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty account tied the next phase to a 60-day window beginning June 18, quoting JD Vance that “I would say the 60-day period officially started today,” and it described the interim deal as giving Washington and Tehran two months to reach a full agreement including limits to Iran’s nuclear program and lifting US sanctions on the Islamic republic.
