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By Andrew Stanton and Gabe Whisnant
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Spain’s prime minister on Tuesday urged China to play a leading role in resolving the war in Iran, saying Beijing is uniquely positioned to help end conflicts destabilizing the Middle East and beyond.
Pedro Sánchez's comments come amid a ceasefire in the conflict, which began after the U.S. and Israel launched strikes against Iran on February 28. The war has since widened across the region, leaving thousands dead over the past several weeks. China could play a key role in bringing an end to the conflict. Bringing an end to the war would be a "significant achievement" for Beijing, Osamah Khalil, chair of the international relations undergraduate program at Syracuse University, told Newsweek on Tuesday.
Newsweek reached out to the U.S. State Department for comment via its press contact form.
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Why It Matters
The U.S. and Iran earlier in April agreed to a two-week ceasefire following threats by President Donald Trump that a "whole civilization will die” if a deal is not reached. The war has become a sticking point between the U.S. and NATO allies. Trump has said NATO’s response to the Iran war left him "disappointed.” Many NATO countries have informed the U.S. they are not interested in joining the war. Trump has repeatedly said NATO does not pull its weight in the military alliance, though that has been robustly denied by countries who have lost soldiers fighting with the U.S.
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Spanish Prime Minister Urges China to Help End Iran War
Speaking during a visit to Beijing, Sánchez said China was the only global power he could envision helping deescalate fighting in Iran and other flashpoints, including Ukraine.
“I find it very difficult to find other interlocutors, beyond China, who can resolve this situation in Iran and the Strait of Hormuz,” Sánchez said, urging China to step up its diplomatic efforts.
His comments came as he met with Chinese President Xi Jinping, who called for safeguarding multilateralism and warned against what he described as a global slide toward the “law of the jungle.”
Xi said China and Spain should strengthen communication and cooperation to address geopolitical tensions, while Sánchez said the two countries could help ease trade disputes and confront shared environmental, social and security challenges.
Sánchez, whose country is a member of NATO, has been among Europe’s most outspoken critics of U.S. and Israeli military actions in the Middle East. His government recently barred U.S. military flights tied to the Iran war from using Spanish airspace and has limited the use of joint U.S.-Spanish bases for related operations.
The visit comes as relations between Madrid and Washington have been strained by Sánchez’s opposition to the war. Spain is seeking to deepen political and commercial ties with China, which Sánchez has described as a key diplomatic interlocutor in today’s fragmented global landscape.
Osamah Khalil, chair of the international relations undergraduate program at Syracuse University, told Newsweek that Sanchez’s outreach to China is “not surprising.”
“Sanchez has been an outspoken advocate for improving relations between the European Union and China. After President Trump threatened to cut off trade with Spain, Sanchez met with Chinese President Xi Jinping to discuss a range of issues. Both leaders affirmed the desire for better ties between China and the EU as well as the need for multilateralism and global stability,” he said.
China’s reliance on oil from the Persian Gulf and position as a leading trading partner gives it a “national interest” in the region’s stability, he said. Beijing was “instrumental” in securing Iran’s agreement to the temporary ceasefire, he said.
“Iran sought assistance from China and Russia during the negotiations. This can be expected to continue when talks resume. Tehran is likely to look for assistance from Moscow and Beijing in brokering a final agreement with the United States as well as security guarantees to ensure against a future American or Israeli attack,” he said.
China helping broker an end to the war would demonstrate how it can “be a key player in the future of the Persian Gulf,” he said.
“It will also demonstrate that the war in Iran has diminished the U.S.'s position in the region and its inability to achieve its goals by relying on force rather than diplomacy,” he said.
What Has China Said About Iran War?
Xi “would like to see” the Middle East war end, Trump told reporters at the White House on Monday. The war has major implications for China, which imports about 50 percent of its crude oil from the Persian Gulf, including about 10 percent of undeclared product from Iran, transshipped via third countries.
"The Strait of Hormuz is an important international trade route for goods and energy. Keeping the area safe and stable and ensuring unimpeded passage serves the common interest of the international community," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun told reporters at a regular press briefing in Beijing on Monday.
Guo said the conflict “must stop as soon as possible.”
“All parties need to remain calm and exercise restraint. China will continue playing a constructive role,” Guo said.
Trump has warned that China would face serious consequences if it supplies weapons to Iran amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
Iran War Peace Talks: The Latest
Negotiators continued to work to arrange a new round of peace talks between the U.S. and Iran, the Associated Press reported. Trump told the New York Post that talks could be held in Pakistan over the next two days. More details about the potential talks remained unclear.
An initial round of peace talks failed, with Iran’s nuclear ambitions a major sticking point.
The ceasefire has continued to hold. The U.S. has ordered a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical passageway for the global oil supply, but traffic has continued despite the order.
Reporting by the Associated Press contributed to this article.
Update 4/14/26, 1:55 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
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