China in the Mideast

Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf (C) waves as he returns to his car after visiting the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted Beirut's Basta neighbourhood, on October 12, 2024. At least 22 people were killed in Israeli strikes on a densely populated area of central Beirut on October 10, the Lebanese health ministry said, with a security source saying a Hezbollah figure was the target. (Photo by Ibrahim AMRO / AFP) (Photo by IBRAHIM AMRO/AFP via Getty Images)

Analysis

Speaker, negotiator, China envoy: What Ghalibaf's accumulated powers mean for Iran

Iran's appointment of Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf to oversee the China relationship demonstrates his ability to operate across Iran's fractured institutional landscape and produce political outcomes.

Jamshid Jamshidi

By Jamshid Jamshidi

Ships navigate the Bosphorus Strait on May 02, 2026 in Istanbul, Turkey. Since the outbreak of the US-Israeli war against Iran, forcing the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and together with the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, global shipping routes have been severely impacted. Soaring shipping costs, lengthening delivery times and less efficient routes have seen increased pressure on energy markets and supply chains worldwide. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

Analysis

Why Turkey sees opportunity in Hormuz crisis to boost Middle Corridor

Ankara seeks to exploit transport disruptions from the Iran, Ukraine wars to push the corridor, but high costs, logistical bottlenecks and South Caucasus politics pose obstacles.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

Iranian cargo trucks cross into the Pakistan-Iran border at Taftan, Balochistan province, on June 18, 2025, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran.

Analysis

Pakistan’s six corridors offer Iran a trade lifeline, could outlast Hormuz crisis

Sabena Siddiqui

By Sabena Siddiqui

In Karachi, reporting on South Asia, Middle East, Iran

trump xi

Analysis

Why China didn’t hand Trump a breakthrough on Iran

Trump's landmark three-day visit to China — the first for a US president since 2017 — included plenty of fanfare, flattery and awkward selfies but failed to produce deals or breakthroughs on Iran.

Joyce Karam

By Rosaleen Carroll , Joyce Karam

Latest News

Analysis

Iran looms large over Trump’s China visit, but breakthrough unlikely

TOPSHOT - US President Donald Trump (C) is escorted by China's Vice President Han Zheng (R) upon his arrival at Beijing Capital Airport in Beijing on May 13, 2026. (Photo by Brendan SMIALOWSKI / AFP via Getty Images)

Elizabeth Hagedorn

By Elizabeth Hagedorn

In Washington, DC, reporting on diplomacy, regional politics, human rights

Analysis

Ahead of Trump-Xi summit, Iran looks to China as guarantor — but with reservations

US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping shake hands as they arrive for talks at the Gimhae Air Base in Busan, South Korea, on Oct. 30, 2025.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

Analysis

China shores up Iran support as Trump seeks exit

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi of Iran meeting with Foreign Minister Wang Yi of China in Beijing on May 6, 2026. Credit: Telegram

Joyce Karam

Iran, China discuss Hormuz reopening amid potential US-Iran talks

In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, second right, talks to his Iranian Counterpart Abbas Araghchi, left, during the bilateral meeting in Beijing, Wednesday, May 6, 2026.

Women walks through the Museum of the Future in Dubai during the Artificial Intelligence Forum held on October 11, 2023. (Photo by Karim SAHIB / AFP) (Photo by KARIM SAHIB/AFP via Getty Images)

What to know about MGX, UAE’s latest AI investment firm

The launch of the AI-focused firm follows the UAE’s largest company appointing an AI bot to its board, as Abu Dhabi seeks to become a world player in artificial intelligence.

United Arab Emirates

Iran's elite Revolutionary Guard boats attack a naval vessel during a three-day military drill in the Gulf on April 22, 2010.

Iran, Russia, China conduct new military drills, defying Western pressure

The exercise brought together the three countries' lead warships for the stated purpose of bolstering maritime security, while Tehran-backed Yemeni rebels continued to target international navigation in the wake of the Gaza war.

Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, left, hold hands with his Saudi Arabian counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, right, and China's counterpart Qin Gang in Beijing Thursday, April 6, 2023 to finalize a deal that would reopen embassies, resume direct flights and restart security and trade agreements.

A year on, China's Saudi-Iran deal endures by virtue of low expectations

Whether China’s involvement symbolizes a rejection of US hegemony in the Middle East remains up for debate, but what matters more is the normalization of Saudi-Iranian relations that has materialized.

Attendees look around the at NIO EP9 during the 2022 Central China International Auto Show on July 14, 2022, in Wuhan, Hubei province, China.

How UAE fits into China’s electric vehicle push

The United Arab Emirates’ electric vehicle ambitions and restrictions from the United States make the Gulf state an attractive partner for Chinese firms, but Abu Dhabi has a way to go before it meets its electric vehicle ownership targets.

Jason Lee/Getty Images

What message is Turkey signaling to China over Uyghurs' espionage arrests?

Turkey has sent a clear message to China through the latest bust against the suspected individuals working on behalf of Chinese intelligence, a prominent former Turkish intelligence officer says.

Supporters of China's Muslim Uighur minority wave flags of East Turkestan and Turkey during a demonstration at Beyazid Square, Istanbul, Dec. 14, 2019.

Turkey detains 6 people suspected of spying on Uyghurs for China

The suspects were rounded up in simultaneous raids in Istanbul for allegedly “collecting information” about prominent members of the Uyghur diaspora and their institutions based in Turkey.

A man in Tehran holds a local newspaper reporting on its front page the China-brokered deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore ties, signed in Beijing the previous day, on March, 11 2023.

A year on from Iran-Saudi thaw, little to show beyond photo ops

Despite the detente, the two sides appear to have adopted few tangible measures to narrow their long-standing differences over regional influence, while their covert divergence on the Gaza war has only added to the complications of their fragile rapprochement.

Indian President Pranab Mukherjee (L) watches as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (R) shake hands with Emir of the State of Qatar Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani (C) during a ceremonial reception in New Delhi on March 25, 2015.

Back to roots: India, the Arabian Gulf and the reemergence of West Asia

Building personal connections with Gulf leaders has proven instrumental for Modi in fostering stronger ties between India and the region.

The Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi General Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan (L) walks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of a meeting in New Delhi on January 25, 2017. The Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi General Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan is on an official visit to India and will be the guest of honour at the country's forthcoming Republic Day celebrations. / AFP / Money SHARMA (Photo credit should read MONEY SHARMA/AFP via Getty Images)

How critical is UAE-India trade corridor in countering China & Red Sea tensions?

The agreement comes amid continuing Houthi attacks in the sea route that are disrupting global trade, and further indicates strengthening UAE-India relations.

Harbor security stands guard during an inauguration ceremony of new equipment and infrastructure at Shahid Beheshti Port.

Can India use new Iran port deal to counter growing China-Pakistan ties?

The long-term deal to develop Chabahar Port signed between India and Iran in mid-January is a critical component of New Delhi's strategy to bypass Pakistan for access to Central Asian markets and counterbalance the growing cooperation between China and Pakistan.

FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP via Getty Images

Saudi inks $3.2B missile defense deal with South Korea as Iran attends expo

The World Defense Show has yielded deals between Saudi Arabia and South Korea and may lead to the strengthening of the kingdom’s ties with Iran, the United States and others.

A Baloch militant (L) hands over his gun and surrenders to Baluchistan province Chief Minister Sardar Sanaullah Khan Zehri (R) in Quetta on April 21, 2017. Around 500 Baloch rebel militants on April 21 surrendered to Pakistan's government as Islamabad pursues its development agenda linked to the ambitious China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in the southwest province. / AFP PHOTO / BANARAS KHAN (Photo credit should read BANARAS KHAN/AFP via Getty Images)

Across Baluchistan, who are the groups targeted by Iran, Pakistan?

The cross-border strikes have raised questions about the separatist groups operating in the border area between Iran and Pakistan.