Amidst the most sensitive period of regional tensions and while the ceasefire talks between Iran and the US, mediated by Pakistan, are shrouded in ambiguity and deadlock, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, the Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly and Iran’s chief negotiator, has emerged in a new guise. He was recently appointed as the “Special Representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran for China”; an appointment that has been upgraded in terms of authority compared to previous periods and is also considered a strategic message to Tehran’s international partners.
Publish dateMonday 18 May 2026 - 09:28
Story Code : 355047
Afghan Voice Agency (AVA) - Tehran: According to Tasnim News Agency, based on informed sources, this appointment is designed to be different from previous models in terms of level of responsibility. Previously, Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli worked as the “President’s Representative” and Shahid Ali Larijani as the “Special Representative of the Supreme Leader” in China affairs. But now, upon the proposal of the President and the approval of His Holiness Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei, Qalibaf has been appointed as the “Special Representative of Iran”; a title that is of a higher level in legal and political terms and indicates complete coordination at the highest levels of governance to advance this case.
Analysts assess this move as a way to strengthen the eastern axis of Iran’s foreign policy, especially in light of the 25-year Iran-China strategic cooperation agreement.
The World on the Threshold of a New Order; Tehran’s Green Light to Beijing
This appointment comes as Qalibaf wrote in a message on X Network (formerly Twitter) last night, referring to the words of the Chinese President: “The world is on the threshold of a new order and the future belongs to the global south.”
These statements are made in an environment where China, as the largest buyer of Iranian oil and one of the main critics of Western sanctions, plays a key role in Tehran's economic and security equations.
Appointment coincides with disclosure of the five conditions of the negotiating parties
The increased role of Mr. Qalibaf has taken place at the same time as the most sensitive stages of indirect ceasefire negotiations between Iran and the United States. According to what a Fars News Agency correspondent heard from the negotiations process, the United States has presented its response to Iran's proposals in the form of five main conditions, which, from the perspective of experts in Tehran, is an attempt to impose demands that Washington had failed to achieve on the battlefield.
These five conditions are:
1. No payment of any compensation or damages by the United States;
2. Withdrawal and delivery of 400 kilograms of uranium from Iran to the United States;
3. Only one set of Iranian nuclear facilities to remain active;
4. Failure to pay even 25 percent of Iran’s frozen assets;
5. Making the cessation of war on all fronts conditional on negotiations.
Reports indicate that, according to this plan, even if Iran fulfills these conditions, the threat of military aggression by the US and the Zionist regime will remain; an issue that, according to analysts, has turned this proposal into a “deed of surrender” rather than a lasting peace agreement.
Iran’s preconditions for returning to the negotiating table
In contrast, the Islamic Republic of Iran has made any direct negotiations conditional on the fulfillment of five confidence-building preconditions. These conditions, described as “minimums necessary to build trust,” include the following:
1. An end to the war on all fronts, especially in Lebanon;
2. Lifting of anti-Iranian sanctions;
3. Complete release of Iran’s frozen assets;
4. Compensation for damages caused by the war;
5. Acceptance of Iran’s sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz.
A complex equation of peace and strategic appointment
Analysts believe that the appointment of Mr. Qalibaf to represent China at this critical juncture goes beyond a simple managerial change. This move could indicate Tehran’s determination to strengthen its strategic depth by relying on its long-standing eastern partner, while Washington has effectively turned the negotiating table into a tool for gaining unilateral concessions by proposing conditions that were unattainable even in times of war. With the current impasse in the peace talks brokered by Pakistan, it seems that strengthening diplomatic channels with eastern powers will be Tehran’s trump card in the difficult days ahead.
Analysts assess this move as a way to strengthen the eastern axis of Iran’s foreign policy, especially in light of the 25-year Iran-China strategic cooperation agreement.
The World on the Threshold of a New Order; Tehran’s Green Light to Beijing
This appointment comes as Qalibaf wrote in a message on X Network (formerly Twitter) last night, referring to the words of the Chinese President: “The world is on the threshold of a new order and the future belongs to the global south.”
These statements are made in an environment where China, as the largest buyer of Iranian oil and one of the main critics of Western sanctions, plays a key role in Tehran's economic and security equations.
Appointment coincides with disclosure of the five conditions of the negotiating parties
The increased role of Mr. Qalibaf has taken place at the same time as the most sensitive stages of indirect ceasefire negotiations between Iran and the United States. According to what a Fars News Agency correspondent heard from the negotiations process, the United States has presented its response to Iran's proposals in the form of five main conditions, which, from the perspective of experts in Tehran, is an attempt to impose demands that Washington had failed to achieve on the battlefield.
These five conditions are:
1. No payment of any compensation or damages by the United States;
2. Withdrawal and delivery of 400 kilograms of uranium from Iran to the United States;
3. Only one set of Iranian nuclear facilities to remain active;
4. Failure to pay even 25 percent of Iran’s frozen assets;
5. Making the cessation of war on all fronts conditional on negotiations.
Reports indicate that, according to this plan, even if Iran fulfills these conditions, the threat of military aggression by the US and the Zionist regime will remain; an issue that, according to analysts, has turned this proposal into a “deed of surrender” rather than a lasting peace agreement.
Iran’s preconditions for returning to the negotiating table
In contrast, the Islamic Republic of Iran has made any direct negotiations conditional on the fulfillment of five confidence-building preconditions. These conditions, described as “minimums necessary to build trust,” include the following:
1. An end to the war on all fronts, especially in Lebanon;
2. Lifting of anti-Iranian sanctions;
3. Complete release of Iran’s frozen assets;
4. Compensation for damages caused by the war;
5. Acceptance of Iran’s sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz.
A complex equation of peace and strategic appointment
Analysts believe that the appointment of Mr. Qalibaf to represent China at this critical juncture goes beyond a simple managerial change. This move could indicate Tehran’s determination to strengthen its strategic depth by relying on its long-standing eastern partner, while Washington has effectively turned the negotiating table into a tool for gaining unilateral concessions by proposing conditions that were unattainable even in times of war. With the current impasse in the peace talks brokered by Pakistan, it seems that strengthening diplomatic channels with eastern powers will be Tehran’s trump card in the difficult days ahead.
avapress.net/vdcdok0s5yt0kz6.em2y.html
Top hits
