China urges against 'spiraling up of tensions,' stresses ceasefire in Middle East

China on Tuesday urged against "spiraling up of tensions," stressing the ceasefire that US President Donald Trump announced a day earlier.

Beijing does not want to "see the spiraling up of tensions and hope that a cease fire can be realized as early as possible," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said in response to a question by Anadolu correspondent during a live-streamed news conference in Beijing.

Trump on Monday said that Israel and Iran had agreed to a "complete and total" ceasefire amid the rising conflict in the Middle East.

The ceasefire came into effect at 0400GMT Tuesday following hours of intensified mutual hostilities.

"China is watching closely the developments in the Middle East," Guo said, adding that Beijing "calls on parties concerned to return to the right track of political settlement."

Guo added that "military means can't bring peace, and the right way of solving issues is dialog and negotiation."

Iran launched a barrage of missiles at the US military's Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar on Monday, marking a dramatic escalation in tensions following the US targeting of three Iranian nuclear sites Sunday.

The US attacks were the latest escalation in a US-backed Israeli military assault on Iran since June 13, prompting Tehran to launch retaliatory attacks on Israel.

Israeli authorities said at least 25 people have been killed and hundreds injured since then in Iranian missile attacks.

Meanwhile, in Iran, at least 430 people have been killed and more than 3,500 wounded in the Israeli assault, according to the Iranian Health Ministry.