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Iran Names Parliament Speaker Ghalibaf China Envoy

5/18/2026

Summary

Ghalibaf China Envoy

Iran appointed Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf as the country’s special representative for China affairs.
The appointment followed a proposal by President Masoud Pezeshkian and received approval from Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei.
Ghalibaf will coordinate diplomacy, trade, energy and strategic cooperation between Iran and China.
The move mirrors the late Ali Larijani’s former duties and follows Iran’s recent allowance of Chinese vessels through the Strait of Hormuz after maritime agreements.

Summary

China Buys Oil

China bought more than 80% of Iran’s shipped oil in 2025, per Kpler data.
Ghalibaf praised President Xi Jinping’s vision and claimed Iran’s 70-day resistance to U.S. and Israeli pressure accelerated a global geopolitical shift.
President Donald Trump, after his China visit, said he was weighing sanctions relief for Chinese firms buying Iranian oil.
Analysts said China may have acted as a back-channel to push Iran toward U.S. negotiations.

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Ghalibaf China Envoy

Iran appointed Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf as the country’s special representative for China affairs.
The appointment followed a proposal by President Masoud Pezeshkian and received approval from Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei.
Ghalibaf will coordinate diplomacy, trade, energy and strategic cooperation between Iran and China.
The move mirrors the late Ali Larijani’s former duties and follows Iran’s recent allowance of Chinese vessels through the Strait of Hormuz after maritime agreements.

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