BEIJING: China Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his Iranian counterpart on Monday that Beijing supports Tehran’s right to defend itself following US-Israeli strikes, as fighting intensified across the Middle East.
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According to China’s state broadcaster China Central Television, Wang said during a phone call with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi that China “cherishes the traditional friendship between China and Iran” and backs Iran in safeguarding its sovereignty, security and territorial integrity.
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi urges Washington and Tel Aviv to halt attacks against Iran and warns against spreading the conflict to the entire region
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Hundreds have reportedly been killed in Iran since Saturday, when the United States and Israel launched strikes on dozens of targets. Tehran responded with waves of missiles and drones targeting Israel, several Gulf states and a British base in Cyprus, widening the conflict.
Wang urged Washington and Tel Aviv to immediately halt military operations and avoid further escalation. He warned that continued hostilities risked spreading the conflict throughout the region.
In a separate call with Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi, Wang accused the United States and Israel of violating the principles of the UN Charter by “deliberately instigating a war against Iran”. He said China was prepared to play a constructive role through the United Nations Security Council to promote justice and seek an end to the fighting.
Speaking with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, Wang cautioned that the world risked a “regression to the law of the jungle” if major powers attacked other nations based on military superiority. He stressed that the Iranian nuclear issue must return to political and diplomatic negotiations.
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Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump warned the conflict could last weeks, with four American service members reported killed so far.