
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian assures China that they will not further escalate the situation in the Middle East. He held a phone call with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, after Iran attacked Israel with more than 300 drones and missiles.
The Iranian minister said Tehran reiterated that it was "ready to show restraint" and "has no intention of further escalation".
Wang condemns the Israeli attack, thanking Iran for not targeting neighboring countries while bombing Israel.
"China believes that Iran can manage the situation well and avoid further escalation in the Middle East region while maintaining its sovereignty and dignity," the Chinese minister said.
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on the international community to "remain united" in the face of "Iranian aggression, which threatens world peace." In a post on X, he welcomed the support of the United States, Great Britain, France and other countries to oppose the Iranian attack.
Chief of the Military Staff Herzi Halevi said Israel would respond, but he gave no other details. Halevi said that Israel is considering the steps it will take, but emphasized that the weekend attack by Iran "will be answered". He made the comments during a visit to the Nevatim air base, which Israel said suffered minor damage during the Iranian attack.
As the Israeli government considers how to respond to Iran's attacks, the United States called on Israel to show restraint and avoid escalating the conflict in the Middle East.
"We don't want escalation, but we will continue to support Israel's defense and we will continue to protect our personnel in the region," said US Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the start of a meeting with Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Mohammed Ali Tamim.
Likewise, the American Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin held a telephone conversation with his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant focusing on the consequences of the Iranian attack. Austin "reaffirmed the United States' firm support for Israel's defense" and "reaffirmed the two countries' shared interest in regional stability."