Beijing Joins Iran Peace Push as China, Pakistan Call for Ceasefire, Hormuz Security, UN-backed Deal

New Delhi: China and Pakistan on Tuesday (March 31) called for an immediate ceasefire, no targeting of civilian infrastructure, secure transit through the Strait of Hormuz and United Nations (UN) backing for a deal as part of a new initiative to launch peace talks aimed at ending the Iran war, officially bringing Beijing into shaping of the endgame in the Gulf – even as United States (US) President Donald Trump asserted that affected allies should “go get your own oil” in the critical Iran-controlled waterway.

Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar met Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing, as Islamabad positioned itself as a mediator between Iran and the US, with its leadership engaging regional capitals while Gulf foreign ministers arrived in Islamabad for discussions.

Entering its fifth week, the war in the Gulf started with Israel and the US attacking Iran with missiles and Tehran expanding its retaliation to include Gulf nations that host US military facilities.

Before Dar’s arrived in Beijing on Tuesday morning, there had been speculation that China could act as a “guarantor” for a potential agreement between Iran and the US.

While the five-point initiative released in Beijing does not refer to any such guarantees, China’s explicit backing places it within the emerging diplomatic process.

Although Beijing has not so far been directly involved in the ongoing discussions, it is no stranger to difficult conversations in West Asia, having earlier brokered a rapprochement between Iran and Saudi Arabia that led to the restoration of diplomatic ties.

“Dialogue and diplomacy is the only viable option to resolve conflicts,” said the joint statement, adding that Beijing and Islamabad will support the parties in “initiating talks, with all parties committing to peaceful resolution of disputes, and refraining from the use or the threat of use of force during peace talks”.

The five-point initiative calls first for “immediate cessation of hostilities" and states that “humanitarian assistance must be allowed to all war-affected areas”.

The second point calls for peace talks to begin as soon as possible, stating that the “sovereignty, territorial integrity, national independence and security of Iran and the Gulf states should be safeguarded.”

On civilian infrastructure, the initiative calls on parties to “immediately stop attacks on civilians and nonmilitary targets” and to “fully adhere to International Humanitarian Law”. It specifically calls for an end to attacks on “important infrastructure, including energy, desalination and power facilities, and peaceful nuclear infrastructure, such as nuclear power plants.”

Since the start of war, Iran has effectively blockaded the Strait of Hormuz as ships are afraid of passing through waters after several were hit by the Iranian navy with drones and missiles in the early days. It has led to most countries, including India, to directly talk with Iran to allow for the passage of ships on a case-to-case basis. However, the trickle of ships has not been enough to stave of energy crisis in most of Asian countries, which has led to fears of economic slowdown.

Describing the waterway as “an important global shipping route for goods and energy”, the statement issued Tuesday called on “parties”, with no specific reference to Iran, to protect the stranded ships and it crew members, while allowing the “early and safe passage of civilian and commercial ships, and restore normal passage through the Strait as soon as possible”.

The final point calls on parties “support the conclusion of an agreement for establishing a comprehensive peace framework and realising lasting peace based on the purposes and principles of the U.N. Charter and international law”.

Dar had travelled to Beijing after hosting the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt in Islamabad. The visiting ministers held bilateral talks with Dar, jointly met army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir and called on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

At a televised briefing after the Sunday session, Dar said Pakistan would be “honoured to host and facilitate meaningful talks between the two sides in coming days, for a comprehensive and lasting settlement of the ongoing conflict”.

Earlier, ahead of the Wang-Dar meeting, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said that the two foreign ministers would “strengthen strategic communication and coordination on the Iran situation and… make new efforts toward advocating for peace.”

There has been no official reaction yet from the US and Iran to the five-point initiative.

However, Iran’s ambassador to Pakistan Reza Amiri Moghadam had earlier, before the release of the joint statement, expressed appreciation for the “initiative and goodwill and good office by the friendly & brotherly country of Pakistan to stop the US-Israeli aggression against Iran and restore peace and stability to the region”.

In a series of posts on X spread over several hours, the ambassador said Iran “welcomes Pakistan's proactive diplomatic initiatives based on good-will to restore peace and bringing lasting stability to the region." He called efforts to “revive diplomacy, ending unjust and illegal aggressions against Iran” and restoring confidence in international law “commendable”, and said diplomatic solutions must be “based on established norms for respect to the sovereignty, territorial integrity, independence, promoting peace and restoring peace and lasting stability in the region”.

2/Iran welcomes Pakistan's proactive diplomatic initiatives based on good-will to restore peace and bringing lasting stability to the region.

— Reza Amiri Moghadam (@IranAmbPak) March 31, 2026

In a later post, Moghadam turned to the nuclear question, saying Trump had “denied” the JCPOA “impulsively,” despite the IAEA having approved Iran's compliance fifteen times and US intelligence agencies having done so three times.

5/ Although a diplomatic achievement, DJ Trump denyed #JCPOA impolsivly, with USA own agencies & people voicing concerns over the erratic decisions. IAEA 15 times & US intelligence society thrice approved Iran's compliance/non-diversion from its treaty & safeguard obligations.

— Reza Amiri Moghadam (@IranAmbPak) March 31, 2026

A day earlier, Trump had threatened on his social media platform, Truth Social, to end the US campaign by “blowing up and completely obliterating” Iran's power plants, oil wells and Kharg Island unless the Strait was “immediately open for business.” On Tuesday, the tone shifted.

Trump posted on Truth Social that countries unable to access fuel through the Strait should either buy American or seize the waterway themselves. “Build up some delayed courage, go to the Strait, and just TAKE IT," he wrote, adding that Washington would no longer come to the aid of allies who had not joined the military campaign against Iran. “Iran has been, essentially, decimated. The hard part is done. Go get your own oil!"

Trump separately told CBS News on Tuesday that he was not ready “quite yet" to pull American assets from the effort, but said other countries would have to take over. “Countries have to come in and take care of it. Iran has been decimated, but they're going to have to come in and do their own work," he said.

The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday that Trump had told aides he was willing to end the military campaign even if the Strait remains closed, a position that would mark a significant retreat from earlier threats to escalate unless the waterway was immediately reopened.

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