Overview
- China and Pakistan, which met Tuesday in Beijing, issued a five-point proposal calling for an immediate ceasefire and fast-start peace talks.
- The text urges full humanitarian access and calls on all sides to stop strikes on civilians and on energy, desalination, power and civilian nuclear sites.
- The plan seeks safe, normal shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and protection for detained ships and crews, a chokepoint crucial to global energy flows and to China’s imports.
- Islamabad says the United States and Iran trust Pakistan to pass messages, while Iran denies any direct talks with Washington and says it has used intermediaries.
- The push follows Pakistan’s weekend talks with Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt that voiced support, yet it sets no enforcement tools and still needs acceptance from the main combatants.