Dialogue the way to end Middle East conflicts: China Daily editorial

The United States has a familiar spin on announcing strategic retreats: declare victory, leave the hardest questions unanswered and reserve the right to resume fighting. The US administration's Monday assessment that the Iran war is "militarily effectively over" may signal a turning point in the eight-month US-Israeli military confrontation with the Middle East country. But the Middle East has seen too many military pauses mistaken for peace.

The statement, made after Qatar's prime minister's visit to Washington, was among the US administration's clearest indications yet that it is reluctant to resume major strikes. Public dissatisfaction over the war and its contribution to surging energy prices is a key reason the Republican Party lost control of both chambers of Congress to the Democrats in the midterm elections on Nov 3, prompting the administration to reconsider its approach.

The US administration still wants a long-term arrangement to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. But the electoral setback has changed its political calculations. As the House of Representatives moves to impeach US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, the administration wants to decisively cut the US' losses in the Iran war.

China, along with other countries, has strengthened its diplomatic efforts for peace, taking advantage of the window of opportunity created by the midterm elections in the US. On Nov 2, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held separate meetings in Beijing with Ali Bagheri Kani, deputy secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, and Saudi Arabia's National Security Advisor Musaad bin Mohammed Al-Aiban. On the same day, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning announced that China's Special Envoy for Middle East Affairs Zhai Jun would visit Iran, Oman and Saudi Arabia in early-to-mid November.

On Sunday, Zhai held talks with Iranian officials in Tehran, reiterating that China believes the use of force cannot resolve the issues surrounding Iran, and the sovereignty and security of all countries should be respected.

Indeed, dialogue and negotiations offer the way forward. All parties should meet each other halfway and pursue a political solution rather than resort to arms again.

China's diplomacy is characterized by its efforts to create the political conditions for lasting peace in the Middle East. Beijing seeks not merely to stop the immediate fighting but to address the interconnected sources of regional insecurity.

In early September, Beijing proposed a Middle East security architecture based on common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security. Its principles are straightforward: regional countries should remain masters of their own affairs; external interference should be rejected; interconnected conflicts require comprehensive solutions; and lasting security must rest on development.

Crucially, Beijing has consistently stressed that the Palestinian question remains at the core of the Middle East crisis and should never be overlooked or marginalized. This is the uncomfortable reality that military campaigns against Iran cannot erase. Nor can sanctions, air strikes or bloc confrontations substitute for addressing the Palestinian question.

Israel remains a major source of uncertainty. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's domestic political difficulties after the legislative elections late last month and his determination to prevent Iran from retaining strategic capabilities might complicate any de-escalation effort. Even if Washington wants to avoid another round of attacks, Israel may have different ideas.

Wang's Nov 2 meeting with Saudi officials underlined the importance of regional reconciliation. China believes countries in the region should enhance mutual understanding and seek to build mutual trust. Beijing's facilitation of the restoration of Saudi-Iranian diplomatic relations in 2023 demonstrated the potential of responsible diplomacy. That experience offers a useful precedent, although the current military confrontation presents a difficult challenge.

The immediate priority is to prevent the present diplomatic opening from closing. That requires sustained negotiations, respect for sovereignty, the protection of energy and shipping lanes, and an effective role for the United Nations. Some Western countries should abandon the double standards that have undermined international efforts to resolve the conflicts in the region. In many Western countries, people openly voice their anti-war stance and firm support for the Palestinian people, yet their politicians — for a range of considerations — maintain what amounts to a de facto policy of appeasing Israel.

Netanyahu once told the UN General Assembly, "Devastating Iran's nuclear facilities was hard. It was very hard to do. But for me, it was one of the easiest decisions I've ever had to make as prime minister." But the cost of that decision will be borne for years by the region, including Israel, by its allies, including the US, and by the world — through oil prices, living costs and blood. It is never too late to say no to war.