Iranian foreign minister to hold talks in Beijing ahead of Xi's US visit

Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi is set to travel to Beijing for a meeting with China's foreign minister Wang Yi, according to a statement from the Chinese foreign ministry. The pair, who previously met on the sidelines of the BRICS conference in Delhi, will convene on Wednesday as China seeks to play a mediating role in Iran's protracted confrontation with the United States. China continues to be a top purchaser of Iranian oil and a steadfast diplomatic supporter.

The talks come just days before President Xi Jinping is slated to visit Washington for a summit with President Donald Trump, where the Iran-U.S. conflict is expected to dominate discussions alongside trade and AI competition. Beijing also rejected recent reports that Chinese satellite firms supplied images of a Jordanian base housing U.S. troops before and after an Iranian strike that killed three American soldiers. The Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun called those claims unfounded and lacking evidence.