ISTANBUL
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his Israeli counterpart on Tuesday that the use of military force against Iran will not solve problems, emphasizing Beijing’s opposition to US and Israeli strikes on Tehran, according to media reports.
During the call initiated by Gideon Sa’ar, Wang urged all parties to refrain from the use or threat of force in international relations which “is in the fundamental interests of all parties,” including Tel Aviv, Chinese state-run Global Times reported.Referring to Omani-mediated talks between the US and Iran, Wang said he regretted the process was interrupted by military conflict.
The talks had been “making clear progress and have also addressed Israel’s security concerns,” said Wang, adding that Beijing was committed to promoting a political resolution to the Iranian nuclear issue.
Wang stressed an immediate cessation of military operations to prevent the conflict from escalating and spiraling out of control.
“China opposes the military strikes launched by Israel and the US against Iran. The use of force cannot truly solve problems; instead, it creates new ones and leads to serious consequences,” said Wang
“The real value of military strength lies not on the battlefield, but in preventing war,” he said, stressing China has consistently advocated resolving international and regional hotspot issues through dialogue and consultation.
It was the first high-level direct contact between Beijing and Tel Aviv since the US and Israel launched attacks Saturday on Iran.
The weekend airstrikes killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and 786 others, including scores of school girls.
Tehran has retaliated with drone and missile attacks targeting US-linked sites in Gulf countries, causing multiple fatalities. Six US service members have been killed and many others injured.
Wang, in a call Monday with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, urged Tehran on to pay attention to the “reasonable concerns” of neighboring countries.