China , Pakistan call on US , Iran to resume talks

What Happened

China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, following a meeting in Shanghai, jointly called on the United States and Iran to cease hostilities and return to dialogue, according to a statement by China's foreign ministry. The appeal came as fighting escalated: on Friday, the US and Iran exchanged strikes, with Iran accusing Washington of hitting civilian sites—including an airport, a railway station, and two bridges—and saying it launched a barrage of drone strikes against US military allies and infrastructure in Kuwait in response. The Strait of Hormuz, briefly reopened after a US-Iran deal in June, was again at risk after Iran stated it would remain closed "until the US ends its aggression," while the United States reimposed a blockade of Iran's ports.

Key Actors

Why It Matters

The joint diplomatic intervention by two major Asian powers—both with strategic ties to Iran—underscores growing international alarm over a fresh US-Iran escalation that threatens global energy transit through the Strait of Hormuz. Renewed strikes and a port blockade risk unraveling a fragile June preliminary deal, while China's mediation signals its expanding Middle East role and Pakistan's concern over instability on its western frontier.

Watch For

Monitor whether Washington or Tehran respond positively to the call for talks; any additional military exchanges, especially further Iranian drone attacks on US-linked targets in Kuwait; the operational status of the Strait of Hormuz amid Iran's closure threat; and whether the June deal can be salvaged through Chinese or Pakistani backchannel diplomacy.