US Foreign Minister Asks China To Use Its Influence To Prevent Iran From Attacking Israel

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. (Wikimedia Commons/US Department of State)

JAKARTA - The United States asked China to use its influence to prevent Iran from attacking Israel, as the two foreign ministers spoke on the phone, according to the US State Department.

Seven members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) were killed, including two senior generals, as a result of an Israeli attack on the Iranian Embassy Complex in Damascus, Syria on April 1, which sparked Tehran's condemnation, raising fears of Iran's retaliation.

The department said the request was submitted by Foreign Minister Antony Blinken to his colleague Foreign Minister Wang Yi, as reported by The Times of Israel on April 12.

Meanwhile, continued the US statement, Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the same occasion urged Washington to take a "constructive role" in the Middle East.

A Chinese statement after the phone call said Foreign Minister Wang also "stated China's harsh condemnation of the attack", emphasizing the "uninterruptible" rights to the security of diplomatic institutions and the need to respect Iran and Syria sovereignty.

"China will continue to play a constructive role in solving the Middle East issue and contribute to easing the situation," said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning.

"The United States in particular must play a constructive role," he continued.

Washington has repeatedly applied to Beijing to do more to address this crisis, including through pressure on Iran, which supports Hamas.

Meanwhile, Israel has not yet claimed responsibility for the attack, but citing building intelligence targeted is a military site used by the IRGC.