China and Pakistan issue five-point plan for 'immediate ceasefire' in war on Iran
China and Pakistan have proposed a five-point plan to end the US-Israeli war on Iran that calls for an immediate ceasefire and restoration of “normal passage” for vessels through the Strait of Hormuz.
The proposal was released on Tuesday after Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar met his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, in Beijing.
The two top diplomats agreed to "strengthen strategic communication and coordination on the Iran situation and ... make new efforts towards advocating for peace”.
The five-point proposal is the first time a key global power has stated a pathway to end the war that began on 28 February.
China is the world’s second-largest economy. It is the top buyer of oil from Iran and Saudi Arabia. The Asian power also has close military and diplomatic ties with Pakistan, which has been mediating between Washington and Tehran.
Middle East Eye was the first to reveal that China was providing military support to Iran. After the US-Israeli attack in June 2025, Iran restocked its air defence arsenal with Chinese batteries in exchange for oil, Middle East Eye revealed exclusively.
Iran has also purchased “small” offensive weapons and drones from China, according to officials in the Mena region.
'Peace talks as soon as possible'
An Arab diplomat told MEE that Tehran would look to Beijing as the guarantor of any peace deal with the US.
The proposal calls for the “immediate cessation of hostilities” in the Middle East and for the “start of peace talks as soon as possible”.
"China and Pakistan support the relevant parties in initiating talks, with all parties committing to peaceful resolution of disputes, and refraining from the use or the threat of use of force during peace talks," the statement says.
The statement called on all sides to immediately stop attacks on civilians and non-military targets, including “energy, desalination and power facilities, and peaceful nuclear infrastructure, such as nuclear power plants”.
Israel has attacked Iranian gas fields, energy facilities and manufacturing centres.
US President Donald Trump has threatened to “obliterate” Iran’s energy grid in retaliation for it wresting control of the Strait of Hormuz. Wide-scale attacks on a foe's energy infrastructure are generally considered war crimes.
For its part, Iran has responded to Israeli strikes on its infrastructure by launching thousands of missiles and drones at both Israeli and Arab Gulf states' energy installations and civilian infrastructure.
Transit fees
The war on energy production has sent oil and gas prices skyrocketing. But it is Iran’s newfound control over the Strait of Hormuz that has become a focal point of the conflict.
Iran has established what maritime experts tell MEE is its own effective transit system for the waterway.
According to Lloyd's List, a maritime intelligence publication, Iran has extracted $2m in transit fees in some cases.
The Iranian parliament approved a plan on Tuesday to collect tolls on vessels travelling through the Strait of Hormuz, according to Iranian state media.
Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos), a coastal state is not permitted to collect transit fees from foreign ships transiting its territorial waters. Neither the US nor Iran is a signatory to Unclos.
Pakistan and China appeared to reject Iran’s bid to monetise the waterway.
“The Strait of Hormuz, together with its adjacent waters, is an important global shipping route for goods and energy,” the statement said, calling for “normal passage” through the critical chokepoint to be restored.
The final point called for “a comprehensive peace framework” based on multilateralism and the “primacy” of the UN Charter.
This article was sourced from Middle East Eye.
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