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Iran, China, Saudi Arabia Hold Third Trilateral Talks

Does China's mediation demonstrate genuine diplomatic progress, or is it merely ineffective theater masking regional instability?

Published 3 days ago

Iran, China, Saudi Arabia Hold Third Trilateral Talks

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Above: Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi (C), Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed al-Kharaji (R), and Chinese Deputy Foreign Minister Miao Deyu (L) in Tehran on Dec. 9, 2025. Image credit: Majid Takht Ravanchi via X

The Spin

Pro-China narrative

China's mediation between Iran and Saudi Arabia demonstrates genuine diplomatic progress, with both nations reaffirming their commitment to the 2023 Beijing Agreement and expanding cooperation across political, economic and security fields. The trilateral framework has delivered concrete results, facilitating safe passage for over 295,000 Iranian pilgrims and fostering growing exchanges between research centers and cultural institutions while all three parties united in condemning Israeli aggression.

Tehran Times PressTV

Anti-China narrative

China's supposed mediation success masks its fundamental inability to influence Middle Eastern conflicts when missiles actually fly, exposing Beijing's risk-averse approach as ineffective during active warfare. The trilateral talks amount to little more than diplomatic theater while Iran rebuilds its decimated ballistic missile production, faces mounting domestic crises and creates a dangerous Hormuz Dilemma that threatens China's own energy security through an unstable partner.

Chatham House Foreign Affairs United Against Nuclear Iran

Establishment-critical narrative

The trilateral meeting exposes how regional actors bypass Western gatekeeping and reshape diplomacy without Washington. China mediates, Iran and Saudi Arabia reconcile, and practical cooperation grows while Western powers cling to outdated leverage built on militarization and sanctions. The call to halt Israeli operations and defend sovereignty underscores a shift toward regional agency that challenges Western dominance of Middle East politics.

IntelliNews Anadolu Agency