Iran’s China pivot deepens as Tehran's thaw with Saudi Arabia gets reality check
At a Tehran trilateral meeting between China and Saudi Arabia, Iranian officials performed careful diplomatic choreography, seeking Beijing’s backing to revive the sluggish rapprochement with Riyadh and to reposition the Islamic Republic within shifting postwar dynamics.
TEHRAN — On Tuesday, Tehran hosted the third trilateral meeting between Iran, Saudi Arabia and China, as the Islamic Republic continues to lean on the Chinese government to counterbalance Western pressure, while its cautious thaw with Riyadh remains incomplete more than two years on.
According to the state-run IRIB news agency, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi, Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed al-Khuraiji and Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Miao Deyu discussed the latest status of the Iran-Saudi rapprochement deal brokered by China in March 2023 — a surprise agreement that ended a seven-year break in diplomatic relations between the two regional rivals.
The official readout emphasized familiar themes: respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity and noninterference, with calls for regional dialogue, stability and economic cooperation.
The three sides also condemned Israeli military actions in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria and reiterated support for a UN-backed political solution in Yemen.
