China's government has condemned the jointU.S.-Israeli military strikes on Iranand urged Gulf states to work together to oppose foreign influence, as theMiddle East erupts into a wider conflict.
In the country's initial comments Sunday, March 1, afterthe killing of Iranian leader Ali Khamenei,China's foreign ministry called the attacks "a grave violation of Iran's sovereignty and security" and denounced them as an infringement on the "principles of the UN Charter and basic norms in international relations." Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning saidChina was not informed in advanceabout the strikes.
Updates:Iran conflict continues; 3 US fighter jets crash in Kuwait
On Monday, March 2, China's foreign minister held calls with his counterparts in Oman and Iran, reiterating the country's opposition and calling for the resumption of talks to prevent further escalation.
Iran launched retaliatory drone and missile strikes against American and Israeli targets after the joint U.S.-Israeli attack. Iran said its enemies would be "decisively defeated." Photos show reported attacks in Bahrain and Qatar. Smoke rises after the state news agency reported missile attack on the service center of the U.S. Fifth Fleet, following strikes by the United States and Israel against Iran, in Manama, Bahrain February 28, 2026, in this still image obtained from a video." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />
See Iran's retaliatory attacks on US military sites in the Middle East
Iran launchedretaliatory drone and missile strikesagainst American and Israeli targets after the joint U.S.-Israeli attack. Iran said its enemies would be "decisively defeated." Photos show reported attacks in Bahrain and Qatar.Smoke rises after the state news agency reported missile attack on the service center of the U.S. Fifth Fleet, following strikes by the United States and Israel against Iran, in Manama, Bahrain February 28, 2026, in this still image obtained from a video.
The United States and Israel began striking Iran on Saturday, Feb. 28, in a campaign thatkilled the nation's supreme leader. PresidentDonald Trumpsaid the operation killed dozens of top officials and hit more than 1,000 targets inside the country. Iran and its allied militias, such as Hezbollah, have retaliated with strikes against Israel and U.S. military bases across the Middle East. Iran's targets have included several major Gulf cities, including Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha. Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi told Al Jazeera the strikes are not targeting Iran's Gulf neighbors, but rather the U.S. assets in the region.
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Thedeath tollhas continued to climb while airstrikes continued in the region. So far, four U.S. service members have been killed, according to the Pentagon. Hundreds of people have been killed across nine nations, according to numbers reported by Al Jazeera, citing aid organizations, government officials and local media outlets. The vast majority of those were in Iran, the outlet has reported. Officials from the Iranian Red Crescent said 555 people were killed and hundreds have been injured there.
One Chinese citizen was also killed in the U.S.-Israeli strikes that hit Iran's capital Tehran, according toReuters. The country's foreign ministry said that as of March 2, more than 3,000 Chinese citizens have been evacuated from Iran.
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In the face of the broadening conflict, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in a call with Omani Foreign Minister Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi that China supports the Gulf nations in "safeguarding their sovereignty and national security," according to an official statement summarizing the conversation.
Yi also expressed hope that the Gulf states would "oppose foreign interference," in a nod to the expanding conflict that has now touched more than a half-dozen nations.
China has strong economic ties with Iran and many of the Gulf states. It is the largest trading partner for many countries in the region, amplified by the area's energy resources and critical global trading routes. Oman has long been a diplomatic broker in the region, in particular between the United States and Iran.
Oman, which straddles the Strait of Hormuz opposite Iran, served as one of the key interlocutors during U.S.-Iranian negotiations that led to former President Barack Obama's 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) nuclear deal. Oman has also been facilitating attempts atnegotiations between the United States and Iranover the past several months.
In his call with Iran's foreign minister, Yi reiterated China's support of "sovereignty, security, territorial integrity," according to a Chinese ministry statement. Yi also urged Iran to pay attention to the "legitimate concerns" of its neighbors in the region.
"While positive progress has been made in the current negotiations, the U.S. actions violate all international law and cross Iran's red lines," the statement said. "Iran has no choice but to defend itself with all its might. China has publicly expressed its position of fairness and justice and hopes to continue playing a positive role in preventing the escalation of regional tensions."
Kathryn Palmer is a politics reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her atkapalmer@usatoday.comand on X @KathrynPlmr. Sign up for her daily politics newsletterhere.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:China condemns US-Israel strikes on Iran as 'a grave violation'