China Warns Iran War ‘Should Never Have Happened’ as Gulf Strikes Spread and Oslo Embassy Blast Probed
China warned on Sunday that the war involving Iran, Israel and the United States should never have occurred, calling for an immediate halt to military operations as the conflict continued to widen across the Middle East and beyond.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said the conflict was dangerous for the region and the wider international order, stressing that the use of force would only deepen instability. “This is a war that should not have happened—it is a war that does no one any good,” Wang said, urging all sides to stop military operations and prevent the crisis from spiralling further.
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| Image Source: Mao Ning on X |
China’s intervention came as fresh Iranian strikes were reported across several Gulf states on Sunday, signalling that the war is spreading across a broader geographic arc. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait all reported new attacks overnight.
Saudi Arabia’s defence ministry said its air defence systems intercepted 15 drones, while Bahrain said the strikes caused material damage to a desalination facility, infrastructure that is critical for supplying drinking water across the arid Gulf region. Kuwait said drones targeted fuel tanks at its international airport, killing two firefighters, and the country’s national oil company announced a precautionary reduction in crude oil production following the attacks.
The Gulf strikes followed renewed bombardment inside Iran. Iranian officials said overnight U.S. and Israeli strikes hit five oil facilities around Tehran, though authorities said fires were brought under control after the sites sustained damage.
Meanwhile, fighting also intensified along Israel’s northern front with Lebanon. Lebanese officials said Israeli strikes killed at least 16 people, including four victims in a blast at a hotel in Beirut and twelve others in attacks on southern Lebanon. Israel said the strikes were aimed at “key commanders” connected to the Quds Force, the foreign operations arm of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard.
The political outlook for the conflict remains uncertain as leaders signal little interest in negotiations. U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly said he is not pursuing talks with Iran and suggested the war would only end after Tehran effectively surrenders or its leadership is replaced.
Within Iran, the process of selecting a successor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in the opening Israeli strike on February 28, is reportedly nearing completion. Israel has said any successor connected to Iran’s military operations could also become a target.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran would continue to respond to attacks while rejecting accusations from domestic critics that he had adopted a conciliatory tone toward Gulf neighbours. Pezeshkian said earlier remarks about relations with neighbouring countries had been misinterpreted but warned Iran would be “forced to respond” to any military aggression.
The war’s ripple effects are also being felt far beyond the Middle East. In Norway, police launched an investigation after a powerful explosion damaged the compound of the U.S. embassy in Oslo early Sunday morning. Authorities said the blast caused only minor damage and no injuries, but Norway’s justice minister Astri Aas-Hansen said significant investigative resources had been deployed to identify those responsible.
Air travel across the region has also been disrupted by the escalating conflict. Oman Air said it had cancelled flights to several cities including Dubai, Doha, Kuwait, Bahrain and Amman because of continuing airspace closures linked to the war.
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