China’s alleged behind-the-scenes role in U.S.-Iran negotiations is drawing fresh attention after Iranian envoy Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli claimed Beijing quietly helped open backchannels between Washington and Tehran. According to the envoy, China and Pakistan both worked to reduce tensions as the Strait of Hormuz crisis threatened global trade and energy flows vital to Beijing’s economy. Fazli said China opposed U.S. “tension-making” activities in Hormuz and pushed for stability in key shipping routes. The revelations come days after Donald Trump’s high-profile meeting with Xi Jinping in Beijing, fuelling speculation that China quietly influenced the direction of U.S.-Iran diplomacy during the escalating Gulf crisis.
