JAKARTA - The Chinese government strongly condemned the attacks by the United States and Israel targeting public facilities that killed civilians and confirmed that it was a red line that should not be crossed.
"China is deeply saddened by the many civilian casualties caused by the US and Israeli attacks on Iran. We strongly condemn it. The protection of civilians in armed conflict is a red line and must not be violated," said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning in Beijing, Tuesday, March 3, reported by ANTARA.
The US and Israeli airstrikes on Saturday (28/2) were known to have hit the Shajareh Tayyebeh Girls' Special Primary School in Minab City, Hormozgan Province, southern Iran, which caused up to 165 people to die.
"The indiscriminate use of force is unacceptable. China calls on all parties to fulfill their obligations under international law, effectively ensure the safety of civilians, and avoid attacks on civilian facilities," added Mao Ning.
The US-Israeli attack on Iran was said by Mao Ning to have no authorization from the UN Security Council and violated international law.
"China is very concerned about its regional impact. China believes that the sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity of the Gulf countries must also be fully respected. We urge all parties to stop military operations and prevent further spread of the conflict," he said.
The US and Israeli attacks also led to the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
In response, Iran launched missile attacks on Israeli territory and also targeted US military infrastructure in the Middle East region.
The US State Department on Monday (2/3) also urged its citizens to immediately leave the Middle East region due to serious safety risks.
Locations categorized as having "serious safety risks" include Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Yemen.
"The blatant military attack on Iran launched by the US and Israel has increased regional tensions and extended to other countries in the region. China is very concerned about it," said Mao Ning.
He said China believed that the sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity of Gulf countries must be fully respected, and any attacks on innocent civilians and non-military targets must be condemned.
"China urges all parties to immediately stop military operations and prevent the further spread of the conflict. China is ready to work with regional countries and the international community to promote peace, stop conflicts, and actively strive to realize peace and stability in the region," said Mao Ning.
The US attack on Iran was acknowledged by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio as an attempt to act first before Tehran could respond to an expected Israeli attack.
"We know that if Iran is attacked, and we believe it will happen, they will immediately attack us, and we will not just stand by and accept an attack before we respond," he said.
However, according to media reports, Pentagon officials told congressional staff in a closed briefing on Sunday that there was no intelligence indicating that Iran planned to attack US forces first.
Israel earlier announced it had carried out what it called a "preemptive" attack on Iran on Saturday (28/2) early morning local time with the name "Operation Lion's Roar" and imposed a "special and immediate" state of emergency throughout the country.
The attack occurred while negotiations between the United States and Iran on Iran's nuclear program were still underway under Omani mediation, with the latest round in Geneva ending on Thursday (26/2).
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