Overview
- Iranian state media said Sunday that Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf was named special representative for China after a proposal by President Masoud Pezeshkian and approval by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei.
- Tasnim reported that Ghalibaf will coordinate various parts of the Iran–China relationship across government bodies.
- The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said several Chinese ships recently passed the Strait of Hormuz under Iran’s management protocols, which points to practical cooperation with Beijing.
- Ghalibaf recently emerged as a lead negotiator in talks with the United States and is a former Revolutionary Guard general, which gives the role added clout inside Iran’s security and economic system.
- Fars cast the post as a continuation of a channel once handled by the late Ali Larijani linked to a 2021 long-term pact with China, with current reports relying on Iranian outlets citing informed sources.