Trump 'adding fuel to fire,' says China on Iran-Israel conflict

ISTANBUL

China on Tuesday decried US President Donald Trump's call to Iranians to evacuate the capital Tehran as "adding fuel to the fire" amid the ongoing Iran-Israel conflict.

"Adding fuel to the fire, making threats, and exerting pressure will not help ease the situation – it will only intensify contradictions and widen the conflict," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told a news conference in Beijing, as reported by the state-run Global Times.

Guo added that the renewed escalation of tensions in the Middle East benefits no one, while also calling on "relevant parties, especially countries with particular influence over Israel" – almost certainly meaning the US – to shoulder their responsibilities and promptly act to de-escalate tensions.

Trump said earlier Tuesday on Truth Social that "everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran!"

"Iran should have signed the ‘deal’ I told them to sign. What a shame, and waste of human life. Simply stated, IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON," Trump said.

Gua added: "The immediate priority is to cease hostilities, take effective measures to prevent further escalation, and avert greater instability in the region. Returning to dialogue and negotiations for a political settlement reflects the broad consensus of the international community."

The remarks followed a Monday joint statement by 21 countries' foreign ministers condemning Israel’s airstrikes on Iran and calling for regional de-escalation, nuclear disarmament “without selectivity,” and respect for international law.

The initiative included Türkiye, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, Bahrain, Brunei, Chad, Gambia, Algeria, Comoros, Djibouti, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Somalia, Iraq, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Libya, Egypt, and Mauritania.

Beijing "welcomes the joint statement by Egypt and other Arab, Islamic and African countries and commends their efforts to de-escalate the situation," Guo told reporters.

Guo furthermore expressed "deep concern" about Iranian state TV being targeted by Israel, as well as urging all parties "to immediately take measures to cool down the tensions as soon as possible and prevent the region from falling into greater turmoil."

A ceasefire and an end to the war are of "paramount urgency, and only dialogue and consultation can bring lasting peace," said Guo.

Separately, the Chinese Embassy in Tel Aviv on Tuesday urged its citizens to leave Israel "as soon as possible."

Guo said the Foreign Ministry and the embassies are working to "swiftly evacuate" Chinese citizens from Iran and Israel.

Regional tensions have escalated since Friday, when Israel launched airstrikes on multiple sites across Iran, including military and nuclear facilities, prompting Tehran to launch retaliatory strikes.

Israeli authorities said at least 24 people have been killed and hundreds injured in Iranian missile attacks since then.

Iran said at least 224 people have been killed and over 1,000 others wounded in the Israeli assault.​​​​​​​