Iranian Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh is in China for his first official foreign visit since Iran's 12-day war with Israel ended on Tuesday.
What happened: Nasirzadeh arrived on Wednesday in Qingdao, China, to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Defense Ministers’ Meeting, which will take place from Wednesday to Thursday. The meeting, hosted by Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun, also includes the defense ministers of Pakistan, Russia, Belarus and Kyrgyzstan, according to Chinese state news agency Xinhua.
On the sidelines of the meeting on Wednesday, Nasirzadeh held a separate meeting with Dong, during which Nasirzadeh thanked China for supporting Iran amid the latest conflict, and he reportedly urged China to "continue to back justice and play a greater role in maintaining the current ceasefire and easing regional tensions,” according to China Daily.
Why it matters: The meeting comes less than two weeks after the 12‑day war began on June 13, when Israel launched a surprise airstrike targeting Iranian nuclear and military sites. In retaliation, Iran unleashed sustained missile and drone strikes over the following days against Israeli cities. The conflict also drew in the United States, which carried out airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites on June 22, prompting Iran to strike the United States’ Al Udeid military base in Qatar.
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