China and Pakistan on Tuesday called for an immediate ceasefire in the Gulf and the wider Middle East, urging the swift launch of peace talks and the restoration of normal navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, as their foreign ministers met in Beijing. Both countries have called for talks to end the US-Israeli war on Iran, now in the fifth week. Pakistan has previously said it is ready to facilitate peace talks between Washington and Tehran. Pakistan, which shares a more than 900‑km border with Iran, has emerged as a key mediator, building on its courtship of US President Donald Trump and its reputation as a relatively neutral player with long-standing ties to Iran. "Dialog and diplomacy are the only feasible ways to resolve conflicts," China and Pakistan said in a five-point initiative put forward during the meeting. "China and Pakistan support the parties concerned in initiating negotiations, and all sides should commit to resolving disputes through peaceful means." The initiative said the sovereignty, territorial integrity, national independence and security of Iran and Gulf countries should be safeguarded, and called for the protection of civilians, civilian infrastructure and peaceful nuclear facilities. Foreign ministers Wang Yi and Mohammad Ishaq Dar also said the safety of waterways must be ensured, including that of ships and crews stranded in and around the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic chokepoint now at the center of global energy and shipping concerns. China and Pakistan called on all parties to "arrange for civil and commercial vessels to pass through safely as soon as possible and restore normal navigation in the strait at an early date," the initiative said. Pakistan mediates talks with Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia Dar's trip to Beijing comes after Pakistan hosted talks with Turkey, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia on Sunday and Trump's warning to "obliterate" Iran's oil wells and power plants if it does not open the Strait of Hormuz. Wang on Tuesday welcomed Pakistan's efforts in mediating, saying China supports and looks forward to Pakistan playing an important role in easing tensions and helping resume peace talks. "China is willing to work with Pakistan to overcome difficulties, remove obstacles, bring the fighting to an end as soon as possible, create opportunities for peace and open the window for peace talks," Wang told Dar, according to a statement from China's foreign ministry.
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International mediators have proposed a 10-day ceasefire between the United States and Iran, according to a senior Iranian official cited in reports. The measure is described as intended to reduce hostilities and allow renewed talks on a prior interim agreement.
Both sides are assessing next steps in the current regional security situation.
Reports indicate that a US-Iran ceasefire has broken down amid renewed fighting, with the potential impact of mediation efforts by Pakistan, Qatar, and Oman remaining unclear. Earlier diplomatic steps included a June memorandum of understanding between the parties for further negotiations and talks hosted in Geneva in February.
The summary also references Europe’s historical role in diplomacy, including the 1814-15 Congress of Vienna.
Donald Trump stated in a Fox News interview that his representatives had spoken with Iranian officials an hour earlier and that those officials wanted to make a deal to end the conflict, though he noted they had broken prior agreements and expressed uncertainty about whether one would be reached.
He added that people do not want to die and that Iran would need to proceed carefully to avoid further losses. The remarks come amid an ongoing US-Iran conflict that has involved casualties and shipping disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, with some social media users criticizing the repetition of similar statements.
Why the Iran-US ceasefire is falling apart Iran and the US have resumed fighting because they don’t see each other as ‘reliable negotiating partners’, says analyst Ali Vaez. Neither Iran nor the United States seems able to deliver a “knockout blow at an acceptable price” to the other side, and both know “they have no choice other than engaging in diplomacy”, but they’re not ready to make uncomfortable concessions, argues Ali Vaez, director of the Iran Project at International Crisis Group.
Vaez tells host Steve Clemons that Tehran and Washington are trying to “enforce their own interpretation” of the ceasefire agreement they signed last month. President Trump has become “frustrated” with diplomacy because he’s not seeing “the kind of quick results that he likes to see”, Vaez says.