BEIJING – China has urged the United States and Iran to avoid further escalation and resume negotiations under the framework outlined in the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding as tensions continue to grip the region.
The call came during a meeting between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Beijing on Wednesday. Araghchi arrived in China for talks focused on bilateral ties as well as regional and international developments.
The latest advisory comes amid heightened regional tensions and security concerns linked to the conflict involving Iran and the United States and ongoing attacks involving Yemen-based Houthi forces.
Wang Yi said continued hostilities between Washington and Tehran would serve neither side’s interests. He called on the two countries to engage in meaningful consultations on outstanding issues and rebuild the negotiating framework based on the understandings reached through the Islamabad memorandum.
China has previously backed the first-phase US-Iran memorandum and credited Pakistan with playing an important coordinating and mediating role in facilitating the agreement.
Wang also expressed concern that continued tensions could spread further across the region, including to Yemen and the Red Sea. Beijing has repeatedly called for de-escalation and a return to dialogue as a means of resolving disputes between Washington and Tehran.
The Islamabad memorandum, reached in June, provides a framework covering the termination of military operations and commitments concerning sovereignty and non-interference.
Meanwhile, the United States has issued a fresh travel advisory for Saudi Arabia, urging Americans to reconsider travel to the country because of risks linked to Iranian drone and missile attacks, armed conflict and terrorism.
The US State Department has designated the Yemen border region as a “Do Not Travel” area, citing the threat of terrorism and attacks by armed groups operating from Yemen. US government employees in Saudi Arabia are also restricted from travelling within 20 miles of the Yemen border.
