Istanbul (Turkey News) – On Tuesday, China urged the United States, Israel, and Iran to return to the negotiating table and end the conflict, a day after US President Donald Trump claimed that Washington and Tehran were holding talks, a claim denied by Tehran.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told reporters in Beijing: "A prolonged war serves no one’s interest; a ceasefire and dialogue are the only way forward."
Expressing China’s “grave concern” over the continued escalation and spillover of the current situation, Lin said it was causing serious damage to global and regional peace and stability. He added that China calls on all relevant parties to immediately stop the fighting and return to peace and negotiations as soon as possible.
Last Monday, Trump announced a five-day halt to all attacks on Iran’s power plants and energy infrastructure, saying that talks with Tehran over the past two days had been "very good and productive." However, Iranian officials denied these claims, labeling them as “fake news.”
During ongoing informal discussions aimed at de-escalating the situation and bringing the warring parties to the negotiating table, sources from Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry told Anadolu that a US delegation on Iran-related matters will visit Islamabad. However, Tehran is not yet ready to negotiate with Washington, as trust has not been restored.
In response to US threats of attacks on Iranian energy facilities, Tehran stated that it would “increase retaliation, especially against the Zionist state (Israel) and critical US power and water infrastructure in the region.”
Tensions in the Middle East have continued since the US and Israel launched a joint attack on Iran on February 28, which has so far resulted in over 1,340 deaths, including the former leader Ali Khamenei.
