

arms embargo that was in place until October 2020.
Business as usual meme free#
for its unilateral embargo of Iran and proposed a host of forgettable alternative security frameworks for the Gulf, undermining the U.S.-led security umbrella that ensures Beijing’s prosperity in the region and the free flow of oil on which it relies.Ĭhinese arms suppliers, wary of sanctions, treaded carefully with Iran due to the U.N. At the same time, it has blasted the U.S. This suggests there is more going on beneath the surface, beyond the boilerplate remarks.Ĭhina has emphasized its commitment to peace and security in the Middle East and the Gulf. Moreover, Wei Fenghe’s visit was the third senior PLA delegation to travel to Iran since 2016, which coincided with Bagheri’s appointment as chief of staff - with no equivalent trips to Iran's regional opponents during the same period. In 2019, Bagheri became the first chief of staff of the Iranian Armed Forces to visit China since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Also pictured in these meetings were officers of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).įollowing the meeting with Raisi, both sides agreed to increase all areas of cooperation, including military, while emphasizing their shared commitment to protecting core interests and mutual contempt for what they recognize as the U.S.-led West's "unilateralism, hegemony, and external interference." After the meeting with AFGS, Bagheri reported that the two countries "agreed to expand bilateral cooperation in joint military drills, exchange of strategies, training issues, and other common fields."ĭue to Bagheri's strong defense diplomacy, Iran's relations with China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) have tightened in recent years. The Chinese delegates met with senior Iranian officials during their visit, including President Ebrahim Raisi, Armed Forces General Staff (AFGS) Chief of Staff Mohammad Bagheri, and Defense Minister Mohammad Reza Ashtiani. In the end, these may undermine China’s own regional interests as well. While a new “axis” may not necessarily be forming, there are troubling trendlines, particularly concerning arms transfers drone, dual-use, and missile technologies and cyber and intelligence capabilities, that Western policymakers need to counter. But there is more to this visit than meets the eye. The readouts from Tehran were rather dull, with the usual platitudes about the close relations between Beijing and Tehran. Wei Fenghe, landed in Iran for a visit in late April. Amid stalled nuclear talks with the P5+1, a senior Chinese military delegation, headed by Chinese State Councilor and Minister of National Defense Gen.
