Xi Gives Iran's Pezeshkian Brief Sideline Meeting at SCO Summit

According to CNBC, Chinese President Xi Jinping met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian for several minutes on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Kyrgyzstan on Tuesday, in a low-profile encounter that Chinese state media did not cover. Iranian state media said the discussion focused on bilateral ties and strengthening relations between Tehran and Beijing, while the SCO leaders' joint statement condemned military strikes on Iran and backed member states' right to civilian nuclear development under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. China has been the largest buyer of Iran's sanctioned oil exports, but those flows through the Strait of Hormuz have fallen sharply since the war began as Beijing cut imports and drew on its reserves. Analysts said the muted public treatment reflected Beijing's effort to manage optics and preserve its strategic relationship with Tehran ahead of Xi's planned trip to Washington later this month.