Updated

Farshad Ebrahimpour, a member of Iran's Parliament Presiding Board, called for closer coordination among government bodies to turn existing agreements with China into tangible results, Tehran Times reported. He told Mehr News Agency that China, given its extensive relations with Iran and Arab countries, was well placed to help establish a sustainable regional security framework. He cited the 2023 Tehran-Riyadh agreement brokered by Beijing as evidence of China's capacity to ease regional tensions, while stressing that such cooperation should lead to lasting mechanisms for security dialogue and respect for national sovereignty. Ebrahimpour said relations with China should serve to strengthen national security and advance Iran's economic development, not merely ease international pressure. He pointed to a gap between economic agreements with China and their practical outcomes, saying the 25-year Comprehensive Cooperation Program and Iran's membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and BRICS offered significant potential. He cautioned that memorandums of understanding do not guarantee investment, technology transfer or project implementation, and urged joint investment, domestic production and job creation. He also called on China to use its diplomatic capabilities to end the current state of neither war nor peace, arguing that a political agreement alone cannot guarantee lasting security.