China’s foreign minister tells Israeli counterpart that attacks on Iran must end

2026-03-03 - 16:13

BEIJING: China opposes the military strikes launched by Israel and the U.S. against Iran ​and demands an immediate cessation of hostilities, Foreign Minister Wang Yi ‌told his Israeli counterpart Gideon Saar on Tuesday, according to his ministry. “Force cannot truly solve problems; instead, it often creates new ​ones and leaves serious long-term consequences. The real ​value of military power lies not on the battlefield ⁠but in preventing war,” it quoted Wang as telling ​Saar in a call. Explosions tore through Tehran and Beirut on Tuesday ​and financial markets around the world tumbled at the prospect of a prolonged disruption to global energy supplies from the U.S.-Israeli air war ​against Iran. Wang told Saar that China believes in resolving ​international and regional issues through dialogue and negotiation and will continue ‌to ⁠play a constructive role in easing the situation. Tuesday’s call follows three calls the top Chinese diplomat held on Monday with the foreign ministers of Iran, Oman and France, in ​which he urged ​Gulf countries ⁠to unite to oppose external interference. Wang also spoke with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on ​Sunday about the Iran crisis. However, Wang has ​not spoken ⁠to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio since the launch of the U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran on ⁠Saturday, ​when Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ​was among a number of senior Iranian officials killed.