Russia and China condemn US-Israeli strikes on Iranian territory

China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi has urged Israel to cease military operations against Iran, citing recent negotiations between the US and Tehran as having made “significant progress”. In a phone call with Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar on Tuesday, Wang expressed China’s opposition to any further strikes by Israel and the US. He also called for an immediate halt to military operations to prevent further escalation.

Wang stated that force is not an effective solution to problems, but rather leads to new issues and long-term consequences. The Chinese Foreign Ministry reported that Saar agreed to take concrete measures to ensure the safety of Chinese personnel and institutions in Iran.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has also criticized the US and Israel’s actions against Iran, stating that their war could lead to nuclear proliferation. In a news conference on Tuesday, Lavrov warned that forces may emerge in Iran that would seek to acquire nuclear weapons, potentially leading to a spiral of nuclear proliferation.

Lavrov spoke with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi on Tuesday, expressing Russia’s readiness to help find a diplomatic solution to the conflict. He rejected the US and Israel’s use of “unprovoked military aggression” in the region, accusing them of carrying out a premeditated act of armed aggression against Iran.

The US and Israel launched their first strikes on Iran on Saturday, prompting criticism from Russia and China. The Russian Foreign Ministry accused the two countries of hiding their true intention of regime change under the cover of negotiations to normalize relations with Iran.

Source: Al Jazeera