Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Iranian counterpart, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, held phone talks on Monday regarding the tensions between Israel and Iran.

Amir-Abdollahian briefed Wang on Iran’s position on the attack on the consular section of the Iranian embassy in Damascus, Syria, saying that the UN Security Council did not make a necessary response to this attack, and that Iran has the right to self-defense in response to the violation of its sovereignty.

Noting that the current regional situation is very sensitive, Amir-Abdollahian said Iran is willing to exercise restraint and has no intention of further escalating the situation.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said China strongly condemns and firmly opposes the attack on the consular section of the Iranian embassy in Damascus, regarding it as a serious violation of international law and unacceptable.

China has noted Iran’s statement that its action taken was limited and was an act of self-defense in response to the attack against the Iranian consulate in Syria, Wang said.

China appreciates Iran’s stress on not targeting regional and neighboring countries, as well as its reiteration on continuously pursuing a good-neighborly and friendly policy, he said.

It is believed that Iran can handle the situation well and spare the region from further turmoil while safeguarding its own sovereignty and dignity, he added.

Wang also stated that the current situation is the spillover of the Gaza conflict and the pressing task now is to quickly implement UN Security Council Resolution 2728 and end the Gaza conflict to protect civilians and prevent further aggravation of humanitarian disasters.

China is willing to maintain communication with Iran for a comprehensive, just and lasting settlement of the Palestinian issue, Wang added.

Source(s): CGTN

Tehran on Monday called on Western nations to “appreciate Iran’s restraint” towards Israel after it attacked its regional foe in response to a deadly strike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus.

“Instead of making accusations against Iran, (Western) countries should blame themselves and answer to public opinion for the measures they have taken against the… war crimes committed by Israel” in its war against Hamas in Gaza, said Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani.

The spokesman added that Western countries “should appreciate Iran’s restraint in recent months.”

Several Western countries, including France and Britain, condemned Iran over its attack on Israel, which Tehran insists was an act of “self-defense.”

Iran’s first direct attack on Israel, which began on Saturday, was in response to a April 1 strike on Tehran’s consulate in Damascus which has been widely attributed to Israel.

The Damascus strike leveled the five-story consular annex of the Iranian embassy in the Syrian capital and killed seven Revolutionary Guards, two of them generals.

Kanani said Iran’s action was meant to “create a deterrent in the aim to prevent the repetition of the actions of the Zionist regime and to defend (Iranian) interests.”

Iran said it informed the United States and gave a 72-hour warning to neighboring countries ahead of its attack on Israel, which was denied by the U.S. side, according to Reuters.

Israel says 99 percent of Iran’s launches intercepted

The Israeli military said on Sunday that it intercepted about 99 percent of the more than 300 missiles and drones Iran launched late Saturday in its first direct attack against Israel.

“Together with our partners, the Americans and others, we managed to block the attack with very little damage caused,” said Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, describing the outcome as “an impressive achievement.”

Gallant noted that the incident is not over, and the Israeli Air Force remains on high alert.

In a press briefing, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Spokesman Daniel Hagari said that Iran had launched about 170 drones, more than 30 cruise missiles, and over 120 ballistic missiles.

Hagari said the IDF’s Arrow anti-missile system successfully intercepted most of the ballistic missiles outside the atmosphere.

U.S. says it won’t support Israeli counterattack

Israel might not have U.S. support for a counterattack. Overnight, Netanyahu and U.S. President Joe Biden talked over the phone, according to Netanyahu’s office.

Israel’s Walla news site reported that Biden told Netanyahu that the U.S. would not support an Israeli counterattack against Iran.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Sunday warned members not to further escalate tensions with reprisals against Iran, while the U.S. warned the Security Council it would work to hold Tehran accountable at the UN.

Source(s): CGTN

A Chinese envoy called on all relevant parties to “exercise maximum restraint and avoid further escalation” as the United Nations Security Council on Sunday held an emergency session on Iran’s retaliatory strike on Israel.

Since the outbreak of the Gaza conflict, the international community not only finds the humanitarian disaster in the enclave unacceptable but also strongly demands an immediate ceasefire, said Dai Bing, the charge d’affaires of China’s permanent mission to the UN.

At the same time, there is deep concern about the exacerbation of regional tension and the complex and serious spillover effects caused by the prolonged conflict, Dai said.

On April 1, Iran’s diplomatic compound in Syria was subjected to an airstrike, resulting in multiple casualties among Iranian personnel and severe damage to the premises. The incident constituted a serious violation of the UN Charter and international law, violating both Syrian and Iranian sovereignty, with extremely negative implications, Dai said.

The escalation of events that took place on Saturday has caused “deep concern” from China, he said, adding that the Chinese government calls on “all parties involved to exercise maximum restraint and calmness, resolve differences and disputes in accordance with the UN Charter and international law, and avoid further escalation.”

The recent escalation of the situation underscores once again that the Palestinian issue lies at the core of the Middle East problem, which is crucial for the peace, stability, and long-term prosperity of the region, Dai noted.

He said allowing the Gaza conflict to continue unchecked will inevitably lead to further negative spill-over effects and exacerbate the instability in the region, and countries and people in the Middle East neither hope for nor can afford larger-scale conflicts and wars.

“Therefore, the immediate priority is to effectively implement UN Security Council Resolution 2728 and achieve an immediate ceasefire in Gaza,” Dai said. “The fundamental solution lies in the comprehensive implementation of the two-state solution to break out of the vicious cycle of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. China calls on the international community, especially influential countries, to play a constructive role in maintaining regional peace and stability.”

The emergency session was held at the request of Israel, at a time when the Israeli government is mulling whether to launch a counterattack against Iran.

Iran’s strike demonstrated its strategic resolve and exerted military pressure on Israel, but Tehran has publicly announced the cessation of military actions following this round of strikes, Wang Jin, director of the Israel Research Center at the Northwest University of China, told China Media Group.

Considering that Israel has not suffered significant human losses, the likelihood of further escalation between Israel and Iran is “relatively limited,” he said.

In the meantime, the U.S.’ “strong wish” to avoid escalating the situation was demonstrated as it has not conducted large-scale military retaliation against Iran or its regional allies, despite assisting Israel in intercepting missiles and drones, and it has also called on regional countries and the international community in many instances to engage in more mediation and coordination, aiming to prevent further escalation of tensions in the region, Wang said.

The likelihood of future escalation of the conflict is therefore probably relatively low, but it cannot be ruled out that other uncertain factors may contribute to further escalation and spread of the conflict, he added.

Source(s): CGTN