China, Russia strongly condemn US strikes on Iran nuclear sites

BEIJING: China and Russia on Sunday strongly condemned US strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites calling the attacks “irresponsible” and a “gross violation of international law”.

China’s foreign ministry said on Sunday it “strongly condemns” US strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites, adding that they “escalate tensions in the Middle East”.

“China calls on all parties to the conflict, especially Israel, to cease fire as soon as possible,” the ministry said in a statement.

Hours earlier President Donald Trump said, US warplanes struck three Iranian nuclear sites, as Washington joined Israel’s war with Tehran in a flashpoint moment for the Middle East.

Iran’s foreign minister said Sunday the United States and Israel had “crossed a very big red line” and that Iran would defend itself “by all means necessary”.

Beijing’s foreign ministry joined Russia and Arab states in condemning the US air strikes.

Chinese President Xi Jinping said last week a ceasefire between Iran and Israel was the “top priority” during a phone call with Russia’s Vladimir Putin.

“Armed force is not the correct way to resolve international disputes,” Xi said, quoted by Beijing’s foreign ministry.

Russia said Sunday that it “strongly condemned” the United States’s bombings of nuclear sites in Iran, calling the attacks “irresponsible” and a “gross violation of international law”.

“It is already clear that a dangerous escalation has begun, fraught with further undermining of regional and global security,” the Russian foreign ministry added in a statement.