China urges halt to US military actions in Iran, condemns conflict escalation

China reiterated on Tuesday that it respects Iran’s “legitimate right to the peaceful use of nuclear energy” while urging the United States to halt military operations and return to negotiations.“The Iran nuclear issue should eventually return to the track of political and diplomatic settlement,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said during a regular briefing.She criticised U.S. strikes on Iran during ongoing negotiations, saying they “violate international law and basic principles of international relations.”On Monday, Mao confirmed that a Chinese citizen had been killed in Tehran amid ongoing military conflicts. “We express our condolences for the deceased compatriot and our sympathies to the family,” she said, adding that the Chinese Embassy in Iran has been instructed to assist the individual involved and their family.As of March 2, more than 3,000 Chinese citizens have been evacuated from Iran. Chinese embassies and consulates in neighbouring countries have sent working teams to assist evacuees at ports.Mao called on all parties to halt military actions and prevent further escalation. Her comments followed Iran’s missile and drone strikes targeting U.S. military facilities in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states and other locations, reportedly in retaliation for joint U.S.-Israel strikes that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday.China said the U.S. and Israel conducted the strikes without UN Security Council authorisation, calling the actions a violation of international law.Beijing also expressed concern over the conflict’s spillover effects on neighbouring countries and welcomed the GCC foreign ministers’ call for dialogue and diplomacy.

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