TEHRAN - Iran’s Ambassador to China, Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli, has suggested that Beijing act as a guarantor of a potential deal between Tehran and Washington.

Rahmani Fazli made the comment in a post on X on Sunday, hours after the IRNA news agency said Iran had submitted its official reply to the latest US proposal for reaching a deal that would allow a permanent end to the US-Israeli war, which initially began on February 28. A ceasefire in April paused the conflict, but Iran says Washington’s “excessive, unrealistic and maximalist” demands have so far hampered mediation efforts.

“Any potential agreement must be backed by guarantees from major powers and formally presented to the United Nations Security Council,” the Iranian ambassador said in his X message.

He added, “China and Russia are two major and influential powers. Given the position China holds for Iran and other countries in the Persian Gulf region, Beijing can act as a guarantor of any such agreement.”

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi made an official visit to China last week. In his meetings with senior Chinese officials, Araghchi said Iran considers China a trustworthy and strategic partner and keeps Beijing informed about negotiations with the US.