Episode
Iran offers a truce as China plays the long game
- Podcast
- Iran: The Latest
- Published
- Sep 25, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 2337
- Processing state
not_requested- Canonical source
- https://shows.acast.com/battle-lines-israel-gaza/episodes/iran-offers-a-truce-as-china-plays-the-long-game
Actions
POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/iran-the-latest-6656846/episodes/iran-offers-a-truce-as-china-plays-the-long-game/transcription-requests
Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode.GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/iran-the-latest-6656846/iran-offers-a-truce-as-china-plays-the-long-game.md
Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource.
Summary
As Chinese leader Xi Jinping concludes his three-day state visit to Washington, Beijing’s incremental support of Tehran threatens to undermine Donald Trump’s pressure campaign. On today’s episode of Iran: the Latest, host Sophia Yan speaks with China military expert Meia Nouwens to break down Beijing’s strategic calculus in the Middle East, how China benefits from the US getting bogged down in a regional war, and preparations for potential future wartime chokepoints in the Strait of Malacca. Plus, Iran-backed Houthi strikes hit Saudi Arabia’s state-owned Aramco facilities, driving up crude oil prices and prompting an emergency meeting amongst Saudi, Turkish, and Pakistani military chiefs. Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi proposes a seven-day truce to Washington, demanding a halt to all hostilities, $12 billion in frozen assets to be released and an end to the US naval blockade – pre-conditions to reopen Hormuz. Highlights China expands its military to gain advantage over information and data warfare How war in the Middle East might expose new chokepoints in the Malacca Strait CONTRIBUTORS: Sophia Yan, co-host and senior foreign correspondent @sophia_yan Meia Nouwens, senior fellow and China military expert, International Institute for Strategic Studies, @MeiaNouwens WATCH US ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJnf_DDTfIVAif-vifC6F2aoPB8GIw6dk CONTENT REFERENCED: Miliband warns Iran: Britain will not tolerate intimidation https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/09/25/ed-miliband-iran-foreign-minister-abbas-araghchi/ Iran’s supreme leader is alive, president insists https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/09/25/iran-supreme-leader-alive-mojtaba-khamenei-pezeshkian/ Winner Best News and Analysis Podcast - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026 N…