Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Sunday said China's position on the situation in Iran is as follows: an immediate cessation of military operations, a prompt return to dialogue and negotiations, and joint opposition to unilateral actions.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks during a phone conversation with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on the situation in Iran.

Noting that the UN Security Council convened an emergency meeting on the situation in Iran on Saturday, Wang said China has consistently upheld the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter and opposes the use of force in international relations.

It is unacceptable for the United States and Israel to launch strikes on Iran during the Iran-U.S. negotiations, Wang said, adding that it is also unacceptable for them to openly kill the leader of a sovereign state and encourage regime change. "These actions violate international law and basic norms of international relations."

The conflict has now spread to the entire Persian Gulf, plunging the Middle East into a dangerous abyss, he noted. "China is highly concerned about this."

Wang called on all parties to advocate for peace and prevent further conflict, urging the parties involved to return to the path of dialogue and negotiation at an early date.

Unauthorized attacks on sovereign states undermine the foundations of peace established after World War II, the Chinese foreign minister said, adding that the international community must send a clear and unequivocal message opposing the world's regression to the law of the jungle.

Lavrov said the military strikes by the United States and Israel against Iran have severely destabilized the Middle East.

Russia shares China's position, he said, expressing Russia's willingness to strengthen coordination and communication with China, and send a clear signal, through platforms such as the UN and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, that calls for an immediate cessation of the war and a return to the diplomatic negotiation process.

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