US asked China to help end the conflict with Iran

Washington's appeal to Beijing

Donald Trump's administration has asked China to help bring an end to the conflict with Iran. This was reported by The Washington Post columnist David Ignatius citing sources: Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, with the president's backing, asked Beijing to use its influence on Tehran to bring the war to an end. According to the source, the Chinese side has already conveyed this message to the Iranian leadership. Life.ru adds, citing Ignatius,that finding a way out of the war became one of Trump's main tasks after the Republican Party's defeat in the midterm congressional elections, and Americans' dissatisfaction with the protracted conflict has increased pressure on the White House.

Diplomatic channels and the upcoming meeting

According to WP, as retold by Life.ru, Vice President JD Vance plays an important role in the contacts: back in October he sent a conciliatory letter to Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council. In addition, during his September meeting with PRC Chairman Xi Jinping, Trump had already asked the Chinese leader to help with a settlement; according to the outlet, Xi agreed with the need to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. This issue is expected to be raised again at the meeting of the US and Chinese leaders on November 18 in Shenzhen.

Tehran's proposal and disagreements with Israel

On November 6 it was reported that Iran had sent the US a proposal on its nuclear program via Qatar: according to a Reuters source, it is open for discussion only if the American side meets seven demands of the Islamic Republic. Washington is studying the proposal; its details remain unknown. On November 4 Trump statedthat he intends to end the war with Iran whenever he wants, but it must be 'done right.' Earlier, the US also offered $20 million and relocation for information on Iran's nuclear program. Against the backdrop of the diplomatic efforts, Axios reported, as retold by Life.ru, that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had pressed Trump for new strikes on Iran after the congressional elections, but the president was in no hurry to return to a military scenario and hoped to continue negotiations; the disagreements concerned the timing of a possible escalation and the prospects for a settlement.