China has accused the US of exacerbating tensions in the Middle East by using force in the confrontation between Washington and Tehran, calling on all sides to exercise restraint to ensure peace and stability.

“Power politics are neither popular nor sustainable“, said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang.

He further added that:

The US’s risky military behaviour in recent days goes against the basic norms of international relations

“We call on the United States not to abuse its power, and we call on all sides to exercise restraint in order to prevent the situation from getting worse,” Geng said, adding that China was “very concerned” about the escalating tensions.

Beijing also criticized the US for threatening to impose sanctions on Iraq in response to the Iraqi parliament’s decision to remove the US and other foreign troops from the country.

“China is firmly opposed to the unjustified threat of sanctions,” Geng said. “We hope that the countries concerned, especially the major countries outside the region, will be able to do more to promote peace and security in the Middle East region and to avoid actions that escalate regional tension.”