With a shaky ceasefire and stop-and-start diplomacy so far failing to make for a durable end to a war that threatens to drag down the global economy, both Tehran and Washington are looking for an offramp. And Beijing, on paper anyway, is an obvious contender to take up that mantle.
China has long been a close diplomatic and economic ally of Iran – an allegiance founded on its shared frictions with the US and a thirst for cheap oil. It also has an open line to Washington – and the direct ear of Trump during his meeting with leader Xi Jinping next week.