China says deal to end Iran war will be submitted to UN Security Council for endorsement

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Tuesday that Beijing believes an agreement to end the US-Israeli war against Iran will be submitted to the UN Security Council for endorsement.

Officials in the US and beyond have been cautiously optimistic about progress made toward finalizing the pact, and Wang said Beijing hopes "the parties concerned can stay committed to pursuing a ceasefire, and can continue to meet each other halfway so that peace can return to the Middle East as early as possible."

"We believe that once an agreement is reached, it will be submitted to the UN Security Council for endorsement for it to have legitimacy and authority," he said in remarks translated from Mandarin delivered at the UN's New York headquarters.

China is chairing the UN Security Council for the month of May, and Wang stressed that going forward, the body tasked with ensuring international peace and security "must step forward, and the Security Council must shoulder its responsibilities."

Regional tensions have escalated since the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran in late February. Tehran retaliated with strikes targeting Israel as well as US allies in the Gulf, and closed the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway for global energy production.

A ceasefire took effect April 8 through Pakistani mediation and was later extended by Trump indefinitely.

Trump said Saturday that an agreement with Iran to end the war had been "largely negotiated" and was awaiting finalization.