Iran Situation | Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Prolonged conflict is not in the interest of any party; hopes for an early de-escalation

U.S. President Trump set a deadline for Iran to reach a ceasefire agreement—by 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday—and warned that if the agreement cannot be reached, the U.S. might “wipe out” Iran overnight.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at a regular press conference that the protraction of Iran’s war has caused major casualties and losses, undermining the security and stability of countries in the region and affecting the world economy and energy security, and that China is deeply concerned and worried about this.

She added that the protraction of the fighting and the escalation of the conflict do not serve the interests of any party; all parties should play a constructive role in easing the situation and promoting negotiations. Ending the fighting and stopping the war, and restarting dialogue as soon as possible, are the common wishes of the international community. China welcomes all efforts conducive to peace, supports Pakistan in actively carrying out mediation, and hopes that the relevant parties will seize the opportunity for peace, bridge differences through dialogue, and put an end to the fighting as soon as possible.

Mao Ning pointed out that China is also willing to play a constructive role in this regard. At present, the situation in the Middle East is still deteriorating, and the fighting is still escalating, posing a blow to the world economy and energy security, which the international community is deeply concerned about. Since the outbreak of the fighting, China has always upheld an objective, fair, and balanced position and has worked to promote a ceasefire and end the war.

On Monday, Iran responded to a proposal from the United States that was mediated through Pakistan, rejected a temporary ceasefire, and said that it is necessary to permanently end the war.