China on Monday urged Iran and Israel to take “immediate” steps to de-escalate tensions after Tehran launched a series of missile attacks on Israeli cities and Israel struck military targets deep inside Iran.
“We call on all parties to take immediate measures to de-escalate tensions, prevent the region from falling into greater unrest, and create conditions for returning to the right track of resolving issues through dialogue and negotiations,” said Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun.
Israel’s surprise attack on Iran last week, launched after decades of hostility and a protracted shadow war waged through proxies and covert operations, has sparked the most intense fighting to date and raised fears of a protracted conflict that could engulf the Middle East.
Israel claims its strikes hit military and nuclear facilities and killed a number of senior Iranian commanders and atomic scientists, although a senior US official said on Sunday that US President Donald Trump had told Israel to abandon the plan to assassinate Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi spoke by phone with his Israeli and Iranian counterparts on Saturday, the foreign ministry said, making clear to both sides Beijing’s support for Tehran.
China has close ties with Iran, as it is its largest trading partner and main buyer of its oil, while Tehran is still under heavy US sanctions.
Guo said today that “all relevant parties should take immediate steps to stop the escalation and calm tensions”.
“Force cannot bring lasting peace. China will continue to maintain communication with relevant parties, promote peace and encourage dialogue to prevent further turbulence in the region,” he said, AFP reported.
