Many buildings, aircraft destroyed or damaged in Iran war: U.S. report
A U.S. Department of Defense report reveals that the ongoing conflict with Iran has caused $33.4 billion in costs and significant damage to U.S. military infrastructure and aircraft. Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is scheduled to visit China for diplomatic talks amid rising geopolitical tensions.
Why it matters
The report highlights the high financial and strategic cost of the conflict, while the diplomatic visit underscores China's complex role in Middle Eastern geopolitics.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi will visit China on Wednesday for talks, Beijing's Foreign Ministry has announced.
China, which is diplomatically aligned with Iran and economically exposed to the Middle East conflict, has continued to call for a ceasefire and a negotiated settlement that would uphold Tehran's sovereignty and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
"Iranian Foreign Minister Araqchi will visit China on September 16, and Wang Yi, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Foreign Minister, will hold talks with him," a spokesperson for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a short statement published on the department's website.
It comes after President Donald Trump on Sunday dismissed Wall Street Journal reports that Beijing had provided Iran with satellite imagery of a base in Jordan, aiding an Iranian attack that killed three U.S. troops in July.
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