Iran’s Defense Minister Makes Foreign Trip to China

Iran’s Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh has traveled to China, marking his first reported international trip since the onset of the war with Israel.

Mary Man

Published: 6/25/2025, 2:23:41 PM EDT

Iran’s Defense Minister Makes Foreign Trip to China — Smoke rises from a location allegedly IRGC's Sarallah Headquarters in north of Tehran, Iran after being targeted by Israel on June 23, 2025. (Elyas /Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)

Iran’s Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh has traveled to China, marking his first reported international trip since the onset of the war with Israel.

He will attend a meeting of defense ministers of Shanghai Cooperation Organization member states, which will be held on June 25 and 26 in the eastern city of Qingdao. The gathering will be hosted by Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun.

In a brief video released in the evening by "Yuyuan Tantian," a news media outlet under China’s state-run CCTV, Aziz Nasirzadeh arrived at the venue by car, accompanied by several Iranian and Chinese military personnel.

Regarding recent U.S. Air Force attacks, Aziz Nasirzadeh said during the meeting that Iran expressed gratitude for "China’s understanding and support of Iran."

He hoped China would continue to “uphold justice” and “play a greater role in maintaining the current cease-fire and easing regional tensions.”

The China-led regional security meeting also includes Defense Ministers Viktor Gennadievich Khrenin of Belarus, Khawaja Muhammad Asif of Pakistan, Baktybek Mukambetov of Kyrgyzstan, and Andrei Removich Belousov of Russia.

Beijing’s ties with Iran have deepened in recent years, making Iran a key partner in Chinese leader Xi Jinping's proposed Belt and Road Initiative.

As one of the world’s largest oil importers, China buys over 90 percent of Iran’s oil exports, per Kpler data. The two nations regularly hold joint military exercises and signed a 25-year strategic partnership in 2021, spanning economic, military, and security cooperation.

On Sunday, the U.N. Security Council convened to discuss U.S. attacks on Iran’s nuclear sites. Russia, China, and Pakistan pushed for a resolution demanding an immediate, unconditional Middle East cease-fire.

Despite some displayed support for Iran, Beijing’s rhetoric has become more restrained, shifting from condemning Israel and U.S. military actions to advocating for dialogue and a cease-fire.

Jun said at the Wednesday meeting, without naming the United States or Israel, that all parties should “strengthen coordination and cooperation” within multilateral frameworks like the United Nations and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization,

“[Let's] unite more like-minded progressive forces, uphold international fairness and justice, and maintain global strategic stability,” he said.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his Israeli counterpart, Gideon Sa’ar, in a phone call on June 21, that China "opposes" Israel’s use of force against Iran, but refrained from condemning it.

Wang urged both Israel and Iran to resolve differences “through dialogue to seek peaceful coexistence” and said China would “play a constructive role” in mediation.

On June 22, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged China to dissuade Iran from closing the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global shipping route, in response to U.S. and Israeli strikes.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun avoided directly addressing Rubio’s request, stating China would “continue playing a constructive role for a deescalation.”

On Saturday, President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. had “completely and totally obliterated” Iran’s key nuclear facilities, marking the most significant Western military action against Iran since its 1979 revolution.