Israel urged China to use its economic and political sway to rein in Iran’s military and nuclear ambitions.

“China is the only one capable of influencing Iran,” Ravit Baer, Israel’s Consul General in Shanghai, told reporters on Tuesday in the city. “Iran would collapse if China didn’t buy its oil.”

Baer’s remarks come with Israel-China relations under strain because of the Jewish state’s war in Gaza and last month’s attacks on Iran, a key Middle Eastern partner of Beijing.

During Israel and Iran’s 12-day war, the Islamic Republic’s military and nuclear sites were significantly damaged and several top army commanders and atomic scientists were killed. The U.S. brokered a ceasefire that began last week, though Tehran’s voiced skepticism about the durability of the truce and said it’s prepared to retaliate against any renewed aggression from Israel.

China and Russia — Iran’s main partners among world powers — both condemned Israel’s strikes, but did little to support Tehran. Beijing has also consistently called for Israel to end its conflict in Gaza against Hamas and take steps toward a two-state solution for the Palestinians, something Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says would threaten his country’s security.

China buys around 90% of Iran’s oil exports of roughly 1.7 million barrels a day. In addition, Beijing signed a strategic partnership in 2021 outlining $400 billion of potential Chinese investments over 25 years in Iran.

“They can pressure Iran, they have political power over Iran, they can help change its maligned activities in the region,” she said. “There are many things China can do.”

Still, there’s little evidence China would be able to sway Iran significantly with regards to military and nuclear strategy. While Tehran has built deeper ties in recent years with Beijing and Moscow, it’s always pushed back against the prospect of foreign interference in key policy decisions.

Moreover, Chinese President Xi Jinping will likely prefer to focus on economic ties when it comes to relations with Iran.

“I don’t think China is interested in being a mediator” between Israel and Iran, Baer said. “Being a mediator is a big responsibility, requires lots of money and hard decisions.”

She added that Israel’s relations with China — the Jewish state’s biggest trading partner after the U.S. — haven’t significantly deteriorated despite the conflicts since 2023.

“We’re still having good conversations,” she said. “Even if we disagree politically, it doesn’t mean you cannot cooperate.”

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(With assistance from Colum Murphy.)

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