 "Iran tells China it is 'willing to exercise restraint' in Israel, has 'no plan' to escalate situation")
In a phone call with China’s Wang Yi, Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said that Tehran is “willing to exercise restraint” in Israel and has no plan to escalate the situation following its first-ever direct assault against Tel Aviv over the weekend.
Late on Saturday, Iran launched a barrage of drone attacks against Israel, keeping its pledge to retaliate after Israeli strikes killed Iranian top generals in Syria.
According to a readout by China’s foreign ministry, Amir-Abdollahian said, “The current situation in the region is very sensitive, and the Iranian side is willing to exercise restraint and has no intention of further escalating the situation.”
“The Islamic Republic of Iran advocates an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and supports China’s positive efforts to promote a ceasefire, restore peace in the region and strengthen cooperation among regional countries,” he added.
China is one of Iran’s strongest allies, its largest trade partner, and a top buyer of its sanctioned oil.
In fact, the US has repeatedly urged China to use its influence over Tehran to try and manage the situation in West Asia, which is already volatile due to the Israel-Hamas war.
‘Iran has right to self-defence’
The two discussed Israel’s April 1 consular attack in Syria’s Damascus, justifying that Iran’s direct aerial offensive against Israel was a counter to Tel Aviv’s attack.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsAmir-Abdollahian told Wang that the United Nations Security Council “did not make a necessary response to this attack” and that “Iran has the right to self-defence in response to the violation of its sovereignty.”
Meanwhile, Yi, backing Iran’s stance, said that China “strongly condemns and firmly opposes the attack,” describing the incident as a serious violation of international law.
“China appreciates Iran’s stress on not targeting regional and neighbouring countries as well as its reiteration on continuously pursuing a good-neighbourly and friendly policy,” Xinhua quoted Wang as saying.
“It is believed that Iran can handle the situation well and spare the region further turmoil while safeguarding its own sovereignty and dignity,” it added.
‘Spillover effect’
Talking about the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, Wang said that the current situation in West Asia is a “spillover effect” of the escalating situation in Gaza.
“China is willing to maintain communication with the Iranian side and jointly push for a comprehensive, just and lasting settlement of the Palestinian issue,” Wang said.
Wang also held talks with his Saudi counterpart on Monday, the news agency said.
The two foreign ministers agreed to work together to avoid further escalation in the Middle East, it said.
With inputs from agencies
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