China cautions against Mideast war spillover
China's UN Ambassador Fu Cong says the parties should stop fanning the fire of war in the Middle East. Photo: Reuters
China said the US attack on Iran's nuclear facilities has damaged Washington's credibility and warned the situation "may go out of control", following a UN Security Council meeting.
US President Donald Trump said Washington had "obliterated" Tehran's key nuclear sites, joining Israel in the biggest Western military action against the Islamic Republic since its 1979 revolution.
The UN Security Council met on Sunday to discuss US strikes on Iran's nuclear sites as China, Russia and Pakistan proposed the 15-strong body adopt a resolution calling for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in the Middle East.
China's UN Ambassador Fu Cong said parties should restrain the "impulse of force, avoid exacerbating conflicts and adding fuel to the fire", according to CCTV.
Fu said parties, especially Israel, "should immediately cease fire to prevent the situation from escalating and avoid the spillover of war".
Iran was hurt "but the United States credibility was also damaged – both as a country and as a participant in any international negotiations," Fu said.
He spoke as the Foreign Ministry in Beijing urged Iran and Israel on Monday to de-escalate in order to prevent the "spillover" of their war.
"The Chinese side urges the parties to the conflict to prevent the situation from escalating repeatedly, resolutely avoid spillover from the war, and return to the path of political resolution," Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said.
Aerial assaults raged between Iran and Israel early on Monday while Tehran vowed retaliation over the bunker-buster bombs American warplanes unleashed at the weekend on three nuclear sites.
Iran said on Monday that the US attack on its nuclear sites expanded the range of legitimate targets for its armed forces and called Trump a "gambler" for joining Israel's military campaign against the Islamic Republic.
Ebrahim Zolfaqari, spokesman for Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya central military headquarters, said the US should expect heavy consequences for its actions.
"Mr Trump, the gambler, you may start this war, but we will be the ones to end it," Zolfaqari said in English at the end of a recorded video statement.
Guo was speaking after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged China on Sunday to help deter Iran from shutting down the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial trade route, following American strikes on Iranian nuclear sites.
Beijing said on Monday the international community must do more to prevent fighting between Iran and Israel from impacting the global economy, noting that the "Persian Gulf and surrounding waters are important international trade routes".
"Maintaining security and stability in this region is in the common interests of the international community," Guo said.
"China calls on the international community to make greater efforts to promote the de-escalation of the conflict and prevent regional instability from having a greater impact on global economic development." (Reuters/AFP)
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