Russia and China Urge Immediate End to War Against Iran
Russia and China have urged an immediate end to the war against Iran, telling the United Nations Security Council that the threat of renewed strikes must give way to diplomacy.
The two countries’ envoys to the United Nations expressed concern over American and Israeli threats of renewed hostilities, and stressed the need for political and diplomatic means to establish peace.
The council met on Friday on the situation in the Middle East at Bahrain’s request, as Gulf tensions kept rising.
What Russia and China told the UN Security Council
China’s Ambassador Fu Cong said the risk of a large-scale conflict remained high, and that recent talk of renewed hostilities against Iran was particularly concerning.
Russia’s deputy ambassador joined China in calling for a negotiated solution, as the council heard warnings that commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab al-Mandab faced growing danger.
A UN official told the council that attacks on commercial shipping in the two waterways threatened international peace and security, regional stability and the global economy. Khaled Khiari, assistant secretary-general for the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific, said maritime incidents had kept increasing, with numerous ships and crews stranded inside the Gulf for months.
“Civilian vessels and commercial shipping must not become targets,” he said, repeating warnings by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres about the risks in the strategically important waterways.
Iran’s response at the council
Iran’s ambassador, Gholamhossein Darzi, criticised Western council members for what he called hypocrisy and double standards, and demanded the United States end its war of aggression and lift its naval blockade.
Darzi said the root causes of the current situation were the wars of aggression launched by the US and Israel on June 13, 2025, and February 28, 2026. “The US is the aggressor, not the victim,” he declared, condemning the assassination of Iran’s Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, senior officials and nuclear scientists.
The United States and Israel launched what they called a pre-emptive joint strike on February 28, 2026, and the war has now entered its eighth month.
The war against Iran so far
The fighting has spread to the shipping lanes. Iran’s navy and Revolutionary Guards said fires had broken out on three oil tankers that struck mines in the Strait of Hormuz, where Tehran has restricted navigation. Iran’s navy said the vessels had switched off their tracking systems and entered a prohibited area, and warned that any tanker entering the zone would face the same fate.
The United States says it does not want a new round of war, for now. The Washington Post reported, citing a US official, that President Donald Trump had received several daily intelligence briefings since the midterm elections. “It’s become pretty clear that Trump does not want to go back to war for now,” the official said, adding that the administration had settled on a middle path of no new war, no talks and no lasting peace.
Trump will discuss the Iran war with his Chinese and Russian counterparts in trilateral talks in China next week, a senior US official said. The meeting is the same one where Trump is due to meet Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin in Shenzhen.
What it means for Pakistan
For Pakistan, the stakes are direct. The Strait of Hormuz carries the Gulf shipping on which the region’s energy trade depends, and any closure or attack hits the oil supplies that Pakistan and its neighbours rely on.
Pakistan has already urged de-escalation in the Gulf at the United Nations, as the US and Iran traded accusations at the council. Fighting in Yemen has added to the pressure, with government forces repelling a Houthi attack in Lahj and more than 340,000 people displaced since August.
The Russia-China call for diplomacy gives Pakistan’s position company at the council. Whether it changes anything on the water will depend on Washington and Tehran, and on the trilateral meeting in China next week.
Frequently asked questions
What did Russia and China ask for?
They urged an immediate end to the war against Iran and called for a political and diplomatic solution. The Security Council met on Friday on the situation in the Middle East, at the request of Bahrain.
When did the war against Iran start?
Iran’s envoy traced the current conflict to strikes on June 13, 2025, and to the joint US-Israeli strike on February 28, 2026. The war has now entered its eighth month.
What happened to the tankers in the Strait of Hormuz?
Three oil tankers struck mines in the strait. Iran’s navy said the vessels had switched off their tracking systems and entered a prohibited zone.
What is Pakistan’s position?
Pakistan has urged de-escalation in the Gulf and an end to attacks on Gulf states at the United Nations.
What role did Pakistan play in the diplomacy?
China’s Ambassador Fu Cong praised the mediation efforts of Qatar and Pakistan, urging the US and Iran to choose peace and resume dialogue toward a comprehensive agreement.
