BEIJING – China condemned military actions by Israel and the United States against Iran on Tuesday, calling for an immediate halt to hostilities and emphasizing negotiation to avert wider fallout, Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his Israeli counterpart Gideon Saar.
“Force solves nothing but breeds new crises with lasting scars; true military strength prevents war, not wages it,” Wang stressed in their March 3 call, per Beijing’s foreign ministry. Explosions rocked Tehran and Beirut that day, rattling global markets fearful of energy supply chaos from the U.S.-Israeli air campaign launched February 28, which killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other top figures.
Wang advocated dialogue for regional issues, pledging China’s constructive mediation role. The outreach followed March 2 calls with Iran, Oman, and France urging Gulf unity against outside meddling, plus a March 1 discussion with Russia’s Sergei Lavrov. Notably, no contact has occurred with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio since the strikes began.