Beijing, March 8 (ANI) Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi condemned the joint US-Israeli military campaign against Iran, saying the escalation “should never have happened.” Citing Al Jazeera, Wang called for an immediate cessation of hostilities and a prompt return to diplomatic negotiations.
At a Beijing news conference, Wang stressed that military force “will never resolve” the deep-rooted crisis in the region. He warned that reliance on force erodes the international order, saying, “A strong fist does not mean strong reason. The world cannot return to the law of the jungle.”
Al Jazeera reported Wang reiterated China’s firm opposition to moves aimed at destabilising Iran’s government. He said there was no popular support for regime change in Iran and suggested such efforts would only inflame regional tensions further.
The remarks came as the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said the Israeli Air Force conducted targeted strikes on multiple Iranian military assets in Tehran. In a post on X, the military account said: “STRUCK, Several Fuel Storage Complexes Belonging to the IRGC in Tehran.”
The operation, the IDF said, was guided by Israeli intelligence and struck sites it identified as distribution hubs supplying resources to various armed units. The military described the targets as complexes used by “the Iranian terrorist regime” to distribute fuel to multiple military entities.
The IDF claimed the strikes significantly damaged Iran’s military infrastructure and released a graphic identifying a “fuel storage facility in Tehran used by the military forces of the Iranian terror regime,” underlining the strategic nature of the targets.
Adding to military statements, US President Donald Trump on Saturday (US time) said the United States had wiped out Iran’s leadership, calling the action the removal of a major “cancer.” When asked about responsibility for the bombing of an elementary girls’ school in Iran, Trump denied US involvement and accused Iran of causing the strike, blaming the inaccuracy of Iranian munitions.
“No, I don’t believe so. Based on what I’ve seen that was done by Iran. We think it was done by Iran because they’re very inaccurate as you know with their munitions. They have no accuracy whatsoever. It was done by Iran,” he said aboard Air Force One en route to Miami.
Trump added, “We’re winning the war by a lot. We’ve decimated their whole evil empire. It’ll continue I’m sure for a little while… The war itself is going unbelievably. It’s as good as it can be.” As the conflict reached its first week, he claimed the US had achieved more than expected.
He outlined what he described as the extent of damage: wiping out Iran’s navy and air force, destroying most missiles, targeting missile manufacturing, and crippling drone capacity. “We’ve wiped out their (Iranian) navy, 44 ships. We’ve wiped out their air force, every plane. We’ve wiped out most of their missiles,” he said, adding that many forms of leadership had been removed.
Asked about earlier projections of a six-week timeline, Trump said he did not set a schedule and would act “whatever it takes.” He said the Iranian military was “almost nonexistent” and that striking Iran’s military further was an option yet to be decided. He also claimed substantial hits to manufacturing and launcher capacity, estimating large reductions in Iran’s output.
US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, also on Air Force One, told reporters a diplomatic deal remained possible but would depend on the President. Referring to past talks, Witkoff said earlier negotiations had faltered, quoting Iranian positions on enrichment and boasting about stockpiles of fuel for bombs, and suggesting Iran would need a change of attitude.
The current crisis followed a joint US-Israel strike on February 28 inside Iran that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other senior figures, prompting a strong Iranian retaliation. Iran responded by launching ballistic missiles and drones at US assets and allies across the region, including Israel, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan, broadening the conflict in West Asia and raising risks for civilians and expatriates. (ANI)
(This content is sourced from a syndicated feed and is published as received. The Tribune assumes no responsibility or liability for its accuracy, completeness, or content.)
