China: Iran and US should not revert to using force

BEIJING, June 16. /TASS/. Iran and the United States should not revert to a scenario involving the use of force after reaching a mutual understanding, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said.

"The door to peace is open and it should not be shut again. The Middle East has been suffering from wars for a long time and its peoples deserve peace," he said during a phone call with Pakistani Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Ishak Dar, as quoted by Xinhua.

According to the top Chinese diplomat, the current consensus has opened up a new stage of efforts toward a lasting peace in the Middle East and the Persian Gulf. However, he admitted that the second stage of talks may be more difficult than the first one, but the sides should not step back and resort to force again.

He also called on the international community to support the Iran-US talks and on the UN Security Council and other multilateral structures to play a bigger role. China, in his words, is ready to continue joint efforts with Pakistan to promote talks and restore peace, stability and development in the Middle East.

Earlier, official representatives of the United States, Iran, and Pakistan, which acts as a go-between, confirmed that Washington and Tehran had reached an agreement, which is expected to be inked in Geneva on June 19. According to Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi, during a 60-day ceasefire the sides will discuss Iran’s nuclear program, while the US will lift its maritime blockade against Iran from June 15. Apart from that, military operations on all fronts, including Lebanon, will cease immediately and permanently.