# China urges US and Iran to reopen Hormuz and return to Islamabad deal as conflict threatens Red Sea

*Wednesday, September 16, 2026 at 10:06 AM UTC — Hamer Intelligence Services Desk*

**Published**: 2026-09-16T10:06:22.998Z (2h ago)
**Category**: geopolitics | **Region**: Middle East
**Importance**: 8/10
**Sources**: OSINT
**Permalink**: https://hamerintel.com/data/articles/17994.md
**Source**: https://hamerintel.com/summaries

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**Deck**: China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi used talks in Beijing with Iranian envoy Abbas Araghchi to call for an early reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and a return to a Pakistan‑brokered memorandum, while warning against the conflict spreading into Yemen and the Red Sea.

China is stepping more actively into the crisis around the Strait of Hormuz. In Beijing, Foreign Minister Wang Yi met Iranian representative Abbas Araghchi and called for the waterway to be reopened "at an early date". He urged both Iran and the United States to stay rational and to return to the Islamabad memorandum of understanding agreed in June with Pakistan’s mediation.

By referring directly to the Pakistan‑brokered Islamabad MoU, Wang anchored his appeal in a specific diplomatic framework rather than in general calls for restraint. His message treated Washington and Tehran as joint actors in the stand‑off and positioned China as a major power trying to pull both back toward an existing understanding.

China’s concern is clear. The Strait of Hormuz is the main route for Gulf oil and gas exports, and disruptions there directly affect shipping costs and fuel security for large importers. Wang coupled his call on Hormuz with a warning against the conflict spilling into Yemen and the Red Sea, highlighting the link between Gulf tensions and the security of sea lanes that carry both energy and container traffic.

At the UN, the Security Council has already met twice in less than a week for emergency sessions on Yemen. UN reporting says at least 125,000 people have been displaced since the start of September amid an escalation that threatens a critical international maritime route and has spread beyond Yemen’s borders. Council members have called for de‑escalation and renewed dialogue; several have urged an arms embargo.

China has often been cautious about supporting sanctions or arms bans at the Security Council, but Wang’s warning about spillover into Yemen and the Red Sea places Beijing closer to those arguing that unchecked escalation now carries serious costs for global trade.

The United States remains a central security actor in the Gulf, yet China’s outreach underlines that it, too, has significant leverage through its economic ties with Iran and Gulf states. A scenario where stability in Hormuz and adjacent waters depends partly on Chinese and Pakistani mediation would mark a shift from the long‑standing pattern of US‑led management of Gulf crises.

Every additional week of tension heightens the chance of miscalculation involving ships, aircraft or drones in tight waterways. China’s call for a reopening of Hormuz is aimed at lowering that risk as well as stabilizing flows of oil.

Key developments to watch include any public reference by the United States or Iran to the Islamabad MoU, visible changes in naval deployments around Hormuz and the Red Sea, and whether the Security Council moves from statements toward binding measures on Yemen. Any follow‑up diplomacy by Beijing with Tehran, Islamabad or Gulf capitals would indicate how much political capital China is prepared to invest in this role.