Iran seeks to expand its military cooperation with China

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran’s state media say President Ebrahim Raisi expressed his government’s desire for closer cooperation with China during a visit to Tehran by the Chinese defense minister. The report says Raisi told China’s Minister of National Defense Wei Fenghe that such “strategic” ties would serve to confront what he described as U.S. unilateralism as talks to revive Tehran’s nuclear deal with world powers have stalled. Raisi was quoted as saying that “confronting unilateralism and creating stability and order is possible through cooperation of independent and like-minded powers.” Wei said improving ties between Iran and China would provide security, “particularly in the current critical and tense situation.”