Financial Times: The U.S. Calls on China to Influence Iran's Control

The Financial Times reported that Washington has asked China to use its relations with Iran and other Middle Eastern countries to promote calm and prevent the escalation of conflicts amid Israel's ground operations in Gaza. According to the report, the United States raised this issue with Wang Yi, the Chinese Foreign Minister, during his three-day visit to Washington. The Financial Times states that the U.S. is concerned about a potential military action by Iran to support its proxies, Hamas or Hezbollah, which could lead to broader conflict in the Middle East. A senior American official quoted in the report noted that China has good relations in the region, and we believe that 'these connections should be used to call for calm from all sides.' This comes as Israel has criticized China for not taking a critical stance against Hamas regarding the October 7 attack that left over 1,400 dead. During his first visit to Washington since 2018, the Chinese Foreign Minister met with President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan. The U.S. has various plans to send a deterrent message to the Islamic Republic to refrain from direct involvement in the Gaza war. In this context, the U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) imposed a second round of sanctions on key officials linked to Hamas and its financial networks following the October 7 attack. Following the issuance of these sanctions, Antony Blinken stated that the U.S. is committed to dismantling the networks supporting Hamas financing and countering Iran's support for terrorism in the region and globally. The U.S. also responded on Thursday to drone and missile attacks by Iranian proxies in Syria, which were in retaliation for repeated attacks on American forces in Iraq and Syria. The Biden administration has previously conducted strikes against Iranian-backed militias, but during the current regional conflicts, it seeks to send a strong message to Iran and its proxies to avoid escalating attacks and creating broader conflict in the Middle East. Mike Lauer spoke to Voice of America about the 'unholy alliance' between North Korea, the Islamic Republic, and China. The U.S. Secretary of State met with his Chinese counterpart for the second time. Mike Lauer announced a legal plan to hold China accountable for purchasing oil from Iran. The Israeli chargé d'affaires in Taiwan stated that China's response to Hamas's attacks is 'concerning.' Xi Jinping expressed that China is willing to cooperate with the U.S. and manage differences.