Israel has called on China to leverage its economic and political influence to restrain Iran’s military and nuclear activities, according to a report on Wednesday.
Speaking in Shanghai on Tuesday, Israeli Consul General Ravit Baer stated according to Bloomberg News that “China is the only one capable of influencing Iran,” emphasizing that the country “would collapse if China didn’t buy its oil.”
Baer’s appeal comes amid heightened tensions between Jerusalem and Beijing following Israel’s recent military operation against the Islamic Republic’s nuclear and missile programs, as well as the ongoing war with the Hamas terrorist group in Gaza.
In an interview with Bloomberg TV on Wednesday, Baer again stressed that China’s purchases—accounting for around 90% of Iran’s oil exports—provide Beijing with significant leverage over Tehran. “They can pressure Iran, they have political power over Iran, they can help change its malign activities in the region,” said Baer.
During the 12-day war between Israel and Iran, the regime’s military and nuclear sites suffered major damage, with several top commanders and scientists killed. A U.S.-brokered ceasefire is now in place.
China and Russia, key partners of Iran, condemned Israel’s strikes but took limited action to support the regime in Tehran.
