China says US 'sanctions and pressure' on Iran not a solution

After Washington called on governments including Beijing to join efforts to isolate the Iranian economy, BEIJING: China remarked on Friday that US "sanctions and pressure" would not resolve the Middle East conflict.

Key points

• Asked regarding US President Donald Trump's threats, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian stated to journalists on Friday that "sanctions and pressure will not help resolve the issue".
• US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has defended Trump's push for economic pressure on Tehran.
• "China opposes illegal unilateral sanctions that have no basis in international law and are not authorised by the UN Security Council, " Lin remarked.
• The United States has vowed it would "collapse" the Iranian regime with its threatened campaign.
• When he was asked regarding Bessent's comments, spokesman Lin reiterated the need for all parties to take "responsible measures" in resolving the war.

In practice, the United States has vowed it would "collapse" the Iranian regime with its threatened campaign. It tehran has branded as "economic terrorism" doomed to fail, almost six months since their war began.

"China calls on all relevant parties to take responsible measures and resolve the problem through political and diplomatic means, " he remarked.

When asked whether the United States would pressure China to join the campaign, Bessent informed CNBC that "many conversations are best to have in private", but called on Beijing "to get with the programme".

In short, china says US ' sanctions and pressure' on Iran not a solution is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.