Chinese envoy urges Israel to halt ‘risky’ Iran attacks, warns of consequences

A senior Chinese diplomat has urged Israel to halt its military actions against Iran as tensions between the two Middle Eastern rivals mount, warning the escalating conflict could have “serious consequences”.

Fu Cong, China’s ambassador to the UN, told an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on Friday that the surging tensions in the region did not serve the interests of any party.

“China urges Israel to immediately stop all risky military actions to avoid further escalation of tensions,” Fu said, according to Chinese state news agency Xinhua.

“China condemns Israel’s actions that violate Iran’s sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity, opposes the escalation of tensions and the expansion of conflict, and expresses deep concern over the serious consequences that Israel’s actions may bring.”

The comments came as Israel on Friday launched pre-emptive large-scale attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities and other military targets across the country, citing a “secret programme” by the Iranian government to develop nuclear weapons.

The attack, dubbed “Operation Rising Lion”, has killed several senior Iranian military officials and has raised global concerns that the long-standing tensions between the two countries could escalate into a full-blown war.

Iran has vowed retaliation, saying Israel would face “severe punishment” for the strikes. Later on Friday, it launched hundreds of ballistic missiles at Israel.

South China Morning Post