Iran's foreign minister to visit Beijing for talks on bilateral ties and "international developments"

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was headed to China's capital Beijing on Tuesday for discussions on bilateral ties between the two countries and on "international developments" amid the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran.

Araghchi and the foreign ministry confirmed his trip on Tuesday, saying he would meet for the talks with his counterpart, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, but offering no additional information.

China has portrayed itself as a neutral party during the two-month war, calling often for diplomacy to end the conflict, but continuing to support its trade partner by buying Iranian energy — reportedly even since the U.S. imposed a blockade on Iranian ports and vessels.

American intelligence agencies detected signs early in the war that Russia and China were both supporting Iran in a bid to blunt the joint U.S.-Israeli military operations.

U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency analysts assessed that China had been considering whether to provide Tehran with advanced radar systems, multiple U.S. officials familiar with the matter told CBS News in mid-April.