By Abiola Olawale
China has formally signaled its support for Iran’s “sovereignty and national dignity” following a series of high-profile military strikes.
On Monday, March 2, 2026, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held a phone call with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, reaffirming Beijing’s strategic partnership with Tehran while urging an immediate de-escalation of hostilities.
The statements come in the wake of a massive weekend military operation launched by the United States and Israel against Iranian targets—an escalation that resulted in the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Wang told Abbas Araghchi that Beijing “cherishes the traditional friendship between China and Iran, supports Iran in defending its sovereignty, security, territorial integrity, and national dignity, and supports Iran in protecting its legitimate rights and interests.”
China had “urged the US and Israel to immediately cease military operations, avoid further escalation of tensions and prevent the conflict from spreading to the entire Middle East region”, Wang said.
In a separate phone call with Oman’s foreign minister, also on Monday, Wang accused the United States and Israel of “violating the purposes and principles of the UN charter” by “deliberately instigating a war against Iran”.
“China is also willing to play a constructive role, including upholding justice, striving for peace, and stopping the war through the platform of the UN Security Council,” Wang told Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi.
And in another call with France’s Jean-Noel Barrot, Wang warned that the world risked “regression to the law of the jungle”.
“Major powers cannot arbitrarily attack other countries based on their military superiority”, Wang said.
“The Iranian nuclear issue must ultimately return to the track of political and diplomatic settlement,” he said.
