China renews call on US, Iran to halt fighting, return to dialogue

China on Thursday renewed its call for the US and Iran to halt fighting and return to dialogue.

Beijing is "gravely" concerned about the situation, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told reporters.

Military conflict will only "escalate the situation," and resuming military action will not resolve any fundamental issues, he said.

"The sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity of regional countries should be respected and safeguarded," Lin said, urging relevant parties to stop military actions, resume dialogue and negotiations, respond to the mediating efforts of relevant countries, and achieve a ceasefire at an early date.

Lin said that China has maintained contacts with relevant parties, including Iran, since the outbreak of the conflict and "has made efforts for promoting peace talks."

Over the past two weeks, the US and Iran have exchanged attacks intermittently as tensions escalated across the region.

Earlier today, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said that it struck 18 major US military targets in the Gulf in response to US missile attacks on a recreational site, an industrial complex and areas near Karaj and Nazarabad west of Tehran, along with a local Revolutionary Guard base in Pishva County.