Iranian foreign minister says decisions made during China visit will shape strategic balances

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Thursday that decisions made during his visit to China would shape future strategic balances in the region.

“Today's decisions will decide future strategic balance in the region, with immeasurable knock-on effects,” Araghchi said in a statement commenting on his official visit to Beijing, which began Wednesday.

Araghchi did not specify the nature or details of the decisions reached during his visit.

He described Iran’s consultations with China as “successful,” and said: “Iran values strategic partnership we have built over time.”

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The Iranian foreign minister also stressed the importance of “four principles for peace outlined by (Chinese President) Xi.”

He said the principles of national sovereignty, respect for international law, balancing security and development, and peaceful coexistence are central to establishing peace and stability in the Middle East and Gulf regions.

The visit came amid heightened tensions between Iran and the US over the Strait of Hormuz, despite a memorandum signed in June envisioning a deal to reopen the strategic waterway as a prelude to a wider peace agreement.

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The US and Israel launched large-scale attacks on Iran in February, targeting government buildings, military sites, missile infrastructure, and air defences, prompting Iranian missile and drone strikes against Israel and US bases across the region. The conflict has since expanded across the region, with diplomatic efforts continuing to end the hostilities.