China part of Iran’s political balancing strategy against Western pressure: Envoy

Iran’s ambassador to China says Beijing plays a key role in Iran’s political balancing strategy, as Tehran seeks to explain its position on security developments in the Strait of Hormuz.

In an interview with IRNA published on Tuesday, Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli said China has worked to reduce tensions in West Asia following the US-Israeli aggression against Iran.

He said Beijing pursued this goal through consultations with influential regional actors, a joint peace initiative with Pakistan that helped facilitate talks in Islamabad, and a four-point proposal by Chinese President Xi Jinping aimed at keeping the door to dialogue open and strengthening it.

“In this framework, China is not merely an economic partner or an energy buyer for Iran; rather, it is regarded as part of Iran’s political balancing strategy against pressure, threats, and unilateralism,” he noted.

According to the envoy, Tehran’s message to Beijing has been clear. “Iran’s security measures are a reaction to threats and imposed war, not actions directed against legitimate trade or the interests of its strategic partners.”

Rahmani Fazli said Iran fully recognizes that stability in the Strait of Hormuz is of vital importance to China, just as China understands that the roots of insecurity in the region lie in external pressure and intervention.

On this basis, he said cooperation between Tehran and Beijing could help shape a shared understanding of energy security, one that seeks security through respect for Iran rather than pressure on it.

He added that the Iran–China comprehensive strategic partnership gains particular significance at such critical moments.

The document, he said, is not limited to investment, oil, infrastructure, or trade, but reflects how Iran defines its position in a changing global order.

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Rahmani Fazli said long-term cooperation with China provides Iran with diplomatic strategic depth, enabling Tehran to show that it has real options, important partners, and alternative capacities in the face of US pressure.

The envoy said the central issue for Tehran is whether the other side is prepared to hear Iran’s real message.

That message is explicit, he said, adding that a permanent end to the war, consolidation of a lasting ceasefire, the lifting of blockades, and respect for Iran’s legitimate rights.

China, he went on, can help convey this message at the level of major powers.

Last Wednesday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Beijing for high-level meetings, amid a shaky ceasefire between Iran and the United States that has largely lost its original purpose due to US interference with international commercial shipping.

Araghchi exchanged views with his Chinese counterpart on key issues, including the recent imposed war against Iran, the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, developments in West Asia, the expansion of trade relations, and the broadening of international cooperation.

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