China Isn’t Feigning Neutrality in the Iran-Israel War as Beijing Firmly Supports Tehran

Israeli air defense systems are activated to intercept Iranian missiles over the Israeli city of Tel Aviv amid a fresh barrage of Iranian rockets on June 16, 2025. (Photo by Menahem Kahana / AFP)

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi spoke by phone with the foreign ministers of Israel and Iran over the weekend as both countries launched devastating missile attacks against civilian targets in each other’s countries.

But in contrast to other recent conflicts where Beijing has sought to position itself as a mediator of sorts, in this instance, Wang took a decidedly partisan tone in the conversations with his Israeli and Iranian counterparts, condemning Israel while offering full support to Iran:

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by Eric Olander

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