China Calls for Calm as Iran-Israel Conflict Reaches Day 11

As the Iran-Israel conflict enters its 11th day with escalating airstrikes and growing international concern, China on Monday urged both nations to step back from the brink and return to diplomatic engagement.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun, addressing the press in Beijing, emphasized that both parties must “resolutely avoid the spillover of war” and recommit to political solutions. His remarks come amid intensified aerial attacks, including U.S. bunker-buster bombings of three Iranian nuclear sites over the weekend.

In response to the strikes, Iran has vowed swift retaliation, raising global anxiety over regional stability, especially around the Strait of Hormuz  a vital artery for global oil and trade.

On Sunday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called on China to use its influence to help deter Iran from threatening or closing the strait, underscoring the geostrategic and economic stakes of the conflict.

Beijing, which maintains strategic relationships with both Iran and Israel, warned that the “Persian Gulf and surrounding waters are important international trade routes” and stressed the need for the international community to prevent the conflict from further disrupting global supply chains and energy markets.

China’s call adds pressure on both Middle Eastern rivals as well as their global backers to de-escalate and seek a diplomatic off-ramp before the fighting spirals further out of control.

“Maintaining security and stability in this region is in the common interests of the international community,” the foreign ministry’s Guo said.

“China calls on the international community to make greater efforts to promote the de-escalation of the conflict and prevent regional instability from having a greater impact on global economic development,” he added.