Iran peace plan proposed by China and Pakistan

China and Pakistan have put forward a five-point proposal to end the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran, now in its fifth week.

The roadmap was unveiled by China’s Foreign Ministry late Tuesday following talks between Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Pakistani counterpart Mohammad Ishaq Dar in Beijing.

Pakistan maintains close ties with both Washington and Tehran and has in recent days positioned itself as an intermediary, saying it conveyed to Iran a U.S. peace plan.

China and its Pakistani ally have opposed the U.S.-Israeli strikes since they began on February 28 while also condemning Iran’s retaliatory actions in the Gulf, including attacks affecting shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, where traffic has slowed sharply.

Both countries have also engaged Iran on maritime access, with a slight uptick in transits involving vessels linked to China and Pakistan in recent days, according to shipping reports.

Newsweek reached out to the U.S. State Department and Iran’s Foreign Ministry for comment.

The joint statement called for the following steps to bring the war to a close.

1. Immediate Ceasefire

All sides should halt hostilities and make “utmost efforts” to prevent further escalation. Humanitarian assistance should be allowed into affected areas.

2. Launch Negotiations

Dialogue and diplomacy are the only viable path to ending the conflict. The sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iran and Gulf states should be respected, and parties should refrain from the use or threat of force during talks.

3. Protect Civilian Infrastructure

All sides should cease strikes on civilian targets and critical infrastructure, including energy facilities, desalination plants and safeguarded nuclear sites, in line with international humanitarian law.

4. Ensure Maritime Security

Countries should safeguard vessels and crews in the Strait of Hormuz and restore the safe passage of commercial shipping as soon as possible.

5. Uphold the UN Framework

Any resolution should be pursued through multilateral channels and anchored in the U.N. Charter and international law to support a broader and durable settlement.

Neither the U.S. nor Iran had publicly responded to the proposal as of time of writing.

In an interview with Al Jazeera, Secretary of State Marco Rubio reiterated that Iran must not be allowed to develop nuclear weapons, and said it must halt support for militant groups and curb missile development that could threaten regional neighbors.

Iran has continued to question Washington’s commitment to negotiations, with Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi saying on X on Sunday that U.S.-Israeli attacks on civilian infrastructure contradict President Donald Trump’s extended diplomatic deadline. Tehran vowed to “exact a heavy price.”

Iran has long maintained its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes and denies seeking nuclear weapons. The International Atomic Energy Agency has, however, raised concerns over uranium enrichment reaching levels of up to 60 percent as of mid-May 2025, which significantly reduces the time needed to produce weapons-grade material.