BEIJING: China’s top diplomat Wang Yi held phone calls with his Israeli and Iranian counterparts on Saturday (Jun 14), the foreign ministry said, in which he made clear to both Beijing’s support for Tehran.
The two Middle Eastern powers exchanged fire on Saturday, a day after Israel unleashed an unprecedented aerial bombing campaign that targeted Iranian nuclear and military facilities.
International calls for restraint are multiplying as fears grow the region could be on the threshold of a broader conflict.
China’s foreign ministry released separate statements late on Saturday announcing Wang’s phone calls with his counterparts.
Wang first spoke to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, telling him Beijing “supports Iran in safeguarding its national sovereignty, defending its legitimate rights and interests, and ensuring the safety of its people”.
China enjoys close ties with Iran – Beijing is its largest commercial partner and the main buyer of its oil, with Tehran still under crushing US sanctions.
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