Allies of Iran’s exiled royalist Reza Pahlavi signal a possible return to Tehran’s ties with China and Russia, even as the 65-year-old increasingly positions himself as a key figure in Iran’s political future – claims that contrast with Washington’s more cautious stance.
Speaking at a news conference in Washington on Thursday, Pahlavi’s chief of staff, Cameron Khansarinia, dismissed Beijing’s mediation efforts in the ongoing conflict, saying that Iran’s current leadership is more than diplomatic cooperation.
“I don’t think there is any reconciliation with this current administration,” he said, accusing Tehran of waging war not only on its own people but across the region.
China sent its special envoy for Middle East affairs, Zhai Jun, on a regional visit in early March following the outbreak of a conflict fueled by US and Israeli attacks on Iran.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian on Thursday described the trip as part of China’s “serious diplomatic mediation efforts”, adding that it “will not stop as long as the conflict continues”.
On Thursday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper that both countries should “take frequent steps to bring peace”, according to Beijing’s reading of the call.
