China ready to cooperate with Russia to ease Middle East tension, foreign minister says
World
The call came ahead of the UNSC vote on a Bahraini resolution to protect commercial shipping in and around the Strait of Hormuz
BEIJING (Reuters) - China is willing to continue to cooperate with Russia at the UN Security Council and make efforts to cool down the Middle East situation, Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in a phone call, state agency Xinhua reported Sunday.
Wang said the fundamental way to resolve navigation issues in the Strait of Hormuz is to achieve a ceasefire as soon as possible, adding that China has always advocated political settlement of hotspot issues through dialogue and negotiation.
The foreign ministers' call came ahead of a UN Security Council vote next week on a Bahraini resolution to protect commercial shipping in and around the Strait of Hormuz.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump has issued a fresh warning to Iran, saying Tuesday would mark a day of attacks targeting power plants and bridges across the country.
In a statement posted on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump warned Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or “face a hell-like situation.”
He claimed that coordinated strikes on key infrastructure in Iran would be carried out simultaneously.
The remarks follow an earlier statement in which Trump said Iran had just 48 hours left to reach a deal, warning of severe consequences if no agreement is made.
Trump has repeatedly threatened Iran in recent days.
In a previous warning, he said that failure to reach an agreement could push Iran “back to the Stone Age.”
Tensions between the United States and Iran remain high, with fears of further escalation in the region.
