China directly contacted Iran to persuade Tehran to agree to a temporary ceasefire with the United States, the Associated Press news agency reported.
According to the report, Chinese officials were in contact with the Iranian government to facilitate the ceasefire. Beijing initially tried to act through intermediaries, including Islamabad, Ankara, and Cairo.
U.S. President Donald Trump said a bilateral ceasefire between the United States and Iran will be in force for two weeks. The decision is "subject to the Islamic Republic of Iran agreeing to the complete, immediate, and safe opening of the Strait of Hormuz," Trump said.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif invited U.S. and Iranian delegations to Islamabad on April 10 for further negotiations. U.S. Vice President JD Vance, special envoy Steve Witkoff, and U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, businessman Jared Kushner, are expected to take part in the planned peace talks with Iran in Pakistan’s Islamabad.
