China asks the United States and Iran to remain committed to the Memorandum of Understanding

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning (Antara - Desca Lidya Natalia)

JAKARTA - The Chinese government has asked the United States and Iran to remain committed to maintaining peace based on the memorandum of understanding signed last June.

"We call on the US and Iran to follow up on their memorandum of understanding, resolve disputes through dialogue and negotiations, and avoid the use of force," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning said at a press conference in Beijing.

On June 14, Iran and the US announced that they had reached a 14-point understanding through Pakistani mediation to end the war and resolve disputes through dialogue and negotiations.

The MoU came into force on June 18 after being signed electronically by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and US President Donald Trump.

However, on Tuesday evening (7/7) the US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed that it had launched a new series of attacks on a total of 80 military points in Iran. They claimed the attacks in response to Iran's attacks on a number of commercial vessels crossing the Strait of Hormuz.

On Wednesday morning (8/7), the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of Iran said that they launched missile and drone attacks on 85 US military points in the Middle East, including the Salman Port and the headquarters of the US Navy's Fifth Fleet in Bahrain, and the Ali Al-Salem Air Base in Kuwait.

"We are following the latest developments in the Middle East very closely. Restarting the conflict is not beneficial to any party, the military way cannot solve the fundamental problem," said Mao Ning.

US President Donald Trump, also on Wednesday, then stated that the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed with Iran to end the conflict was over.

"This is a very interesting question for me. I think it's over. I don't want to deal with them (Iran) anymore. They are garbage," Trump told reporters on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey.

He hinted that his patience with diplomatic efforts was over following Iran's attacks on merchant ships, calling the leaders of Iran in Tehran "liars".

Trump admitted he did not know whether the situation involving Iran would heat up again to become a full-scale military conflict, but he stressed that the US had many ways to win if that happened.

He also stressed that Washington's main focus this time is to strive for full "denuclearization" of Iran.

The US attack on five provinces in Iran on July 8-9 also killed at least 14 people and injured 78 others, according to a report by the Iranian Ministry of Health on Thursday.

According to the ministry, as reported by Antara, 47 injured victims are still undergoing treatment at the hospital, while the other victims have been sent home after receiving medical treatment.