China slams US-Israel strikes on Iran as ‘violation of international law’

BEIJING: Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning called for an immediate halt to military operations and warned against further escalation in the Middle East during a press briefing in Beijing on Thursday.

“China opposes the US and Israel launching military strikes against Iran in violation of international law. We support Iran in safeguarding its sovereignty, security, territorial integrity, and national dignity and in upholding its legitimate and lawful rights and interests,” Mao said.

“China urges relevant parties to immediately stop military operations, avoid further escalation of the tense situation, and prevent regional turmoil from causing greater damage to global economic growth,” she added.

It comes as the conflict involving Iran, the United States, and Israel continued to widen across the region.

Azerbaijan accused Iran of launching drone strikes on an international airport in its Nakhchivan exclave on Thursday, injuring civilians. Tehran has denied targeting its neighbour.

Global shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has also been effectively halted as the IRGC declared it would fire on any vessel attempting transit.

The Strait of Hormuz, located between Iran and Oman, is one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints, carrying roughly a fifth of global seaborne oil supplies.

China is a major importer of Gulf energy and has positioned itself as a diplomatic actor in the crisis, warning against the ‘arbitrary use of force’ while maintaining political support for Iran’s sovereignty.