China caught between Iran and Gulf states as Tehran strikes across Middle East
In 2023, China mediated a peace deal between Riyadh and Tehran, but the ties are being tested as Iran targets sites in Saudi Arabia
As missiles fly throughout the Middle East, China is walking a diplomatic tightrope between strategic partner Iran and the Gulf Cooperation Council states, with whom it has deep economic ties.
Its strikes have also expanded beyond United States’ assets to include landmark buildings and airports, causing death and injury.
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China has not offered Iran any concrete assistance other than diplomatic support so far. In his first round of whirlwind phone calls on Monday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi spoke with counterparts from Iran, Russia, France and Oman.
Iran on Tuesday denied reports that it carried out a military attack on Oman, describing the Gulf state as a “friend and neighbour”.
Wang told Oman’s foreign minister that China supported Gulf nations in “safeguarding their sovereignty and national interests”, his ministry said. He warned that a “spillover of the war does not serve” Gulf states’ interests and urged them to “truly hold their future firmly in their own hands”.