Israel urges China to pressure Iran over nuclear ambitions
Photo: Israel believes that China can do a lot (Getty Images)
Israel has called on China to use its economic and political influence over Iran to exert pressure on the country's military and nuclear ambitions, Bloomberg reports.
"China is the only one capable of influencing Iran. Iran would collapse if China didn't buy its oil," said Israel's Consul General Ravit Baer to journalists in Shanghai.
Baer's remarks came against the backdrop of tensions in relations between Israel and China over the Jewish state's war in Gaza and last month's attacks on Iran - a key partner for Beijing in the Middle East.
"They can pressure Iran, they have political power over Iran, they can help change its maligned activities in the region. China can do a lot," Baer added.
Meanwhile, Bloomberg writes there is little evidence that China will be able to significantly influence Iran on matters of military and nuclear strategy.
Although Tehran has in recent years established closer ties with Beijing and Moscow, it has largely opposed the prospect of foreign interference in key political decisions.
Moreover, Chinese leader Xi Jinping will most likely prefer to focus on economic ties when it comes to relations with Iran, Bloomberg believes.
"I don't think China is interested in being a mediator between Israel and Iran, it requires a lot of money and hard decisions. Being a mediator is a big responsibility, requires lots of money and hard decisions," the Israeli Consul said.
Baer added that Israel's relations with China - the European state's largest trading partner after the United States - have not significantly deteriorated despite the conflicts since 2023.
"We are still having good negotiations. Even if we don't agree politically, it doesn't mean we can't cooperate," Israel's Consul General said.
War against Iran and Russia and China's relations with Tehran
The media outlet recalled that during the 12-day war between Israel and Iran, the Islamic Republic's military and nuclear facilities were significantly damaged, and a number of senior army commanders and nuclear scientists were killed.
The United States acted as a mediator in the ceasefire that began last week, although Tehran expressed skepticism about the durability of the truce and declared it was ready to take retaliatory measures in the event of renewed aggression from Israel.
As for China and Russia - they are Iran's main partners among world powers, and they condemned Israel's strikes but did little to support Tehran.
Beijing has also consistently called on Israel to end the conflict in Gaza with Hamas and to take steps to resolve the two-state issue for the Palestinians, which, according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, would threaten his country’s security.
Bloomberg also added that China buys about 90% of Iran's oil exports, amounting to approximately 1.7 million barrels per day.
In addition, in 2021, Beijing signed a strategic partnership outlining the potential scope of Chinese investment in Iran totaling $400 billion over 25 years.
US strikes on Iran's nuclear program
The United States also participated in Israel's war against Iran. While the Israeli attack began on the night of June 13, the USA carried out its own series of strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites in Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan on the night of the 22nd.
After that, US President Donald Trump repeatedly claimed that Iran's nuclear program was completely destroyed. Although the media, citing American intelligence, reported that this was far from the case.
Recently, CIA Director John Ratcliffe assured skeptical American lawmakers that the US strikes had set back Iran's nuclear program by years.
