Focus of all parties should be durable peace in Middle East

United States President Donald Trump said on Saturday that a peace deal with Iran was scheduled to be signed on Sunday and that the Strait of Hormuz will reopen immediately afterward. But Iran has cast doubt on the timetable, which underscores the fragility of the situation and the deep mistrust that continues to define regional politics.

At a time when conflicts in Gaza, Lebanon and other parts of the Middle East continue to simmer, any diplomatic breakthrough deserves encouragement.

Yet experience has repeatedly shown that temporary arrangements are rarely sufficient to build toward a comprehensive political settlement that addresses the root causes of instability.

Years of military confrontation, sanctions pressure and unilateral actions have produced cycles of retaliation. The international community should seize every opportunity to promote dialogue and negotiation while preventing the region from sliding further into confrontation.

In April, China put forward a four-point proposal to promote peace and stability in the Middle East. The plan emphasizes the principle of peaceful coexistence and calls for promoting the development of a common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security architecture for the Middle East and the Gulf region.

It has also urged adherence to the principle of national sovereignty. The sovereignty, security and territorial integrity of countries in the Middle East should be fully respected, and the safety of personnel, facilities and institutions of all countries should be effectively safeguarded. The proposal insists that the international rule of law should be upheld to prevent the world from falling back into the law of the jungle.

Moreover, development and security should be coordinated. All parties should work together to create a favorable environment for the development of countries in the Middle East.

These principles are particularly relevant today. The humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate, while tensions along the Israel-Lebanon border remain elevated. Reports over the weekend that Israel may further expand military operations in southern Lebanon have heightened concerns that the conflict could spill over into a broader regional confrontation. Such developments would serve no one's interests and could lead to new humanitarian disasters.

The US bears a special responsibility in preventing further escalation. Rather than allowing military operations to expand in Gaza and Lebanon, Washington should take concrete steps to encourage restraint, promote ceasefires and support diplomatic solutions. Continued instability will only deepen regional divisions and increase security risks for all parties.

Lasting peace in the Middle East cannot be achieved without addressing the Palestinian question, which remains central to the regional turmoil. The repeated outbreaks of violence in recent decades have demonstrated that crisis management alone won't help. The international community must recommit to the two-state solution, support the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, and advance a just, lasting and comprehensive settlement of the Palestinian question. Only through such efforts can the region break free from the cycle of conflict and retaliation.

The global implications of continued Middle East instability should not be underestimated. International attention to disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz may have waned as markets adapt to recurring tensions, but the world's growing familiarity with such risks should not be mistaken for immunity.

In an era of fragile global growth, prolonged instability in the Middle East threatens energy security, supply-chain resilience and broader economic recovery efforts worldwide.

Whether a deal is signed between the US and Iran or not, genuine peace requires more than a signature on a piece of paper. It requires a commitment to dialogue over confrontation, development over destruction, and justice over perpetual conflict.