Iran delivered a major geopolitical surprise days after Donald Trump’s high-stakes summit with Xi Jinping by appointing parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf as Tehran’s special representative for China affairs. The move deepens Iran-China coordination just as Washington tries to pressure Beijing over Tehran. Ghalibaf, who previously led negotiations with the U.S. that helped secure a ceasefire after the Gulf conflict, will now oversee key political, economic and strategic ties with China. Iranian reports suggest Beijing quietly played a backchannel role during negotiations. After his appointment, Ghalibaf praised Xi Jinping’s vision of a “new world order” led by the Global South, signalling deeper Iran-China alignment despite Trump’s diplomatic outreach.